Impacts of the herbicide glyphosate on moose browse and moose use of four paired treated-control cutovers near Thunder Bay, Ontario

Re-assessment of the aerial and ground observations on four paired, glyphosate treated and control, cutovers near Thunder Bay, Ontario, indicated that aerial tending with glyphosate altered the use of these cutovers by moose. The number of pellet groups favoured the control areas (p < 0.05) by 1.5 times. Additionally, the number of moose tracks and moose track aggregates were more prevalent (p < 0.05) on the controls for 2 to 3 years after treatment. Pre spray data on 2 areas suggested use shifted away from glyphosate treated areas. Browse availability was significantly greater (p < 0.05) on the control plots by 18 times in the highest height class measured (201 - 350 cm) , 5 times in the next highest (101 - 200 cm) but not statistically significant (p > 0.05) in the lowest (51 - 100 cm), 2 years after treatment. Due to too few replications, differences in availability 1 year after treatment were not statistically significant. Biomass of browse removed by moose was 3 to 7 times greater on controls but again these differences were not statistically significant. The average length of moose trails observed in the snow was shorter (p < 0.05) on the controls suggesting less travel time. The size (area) of moose track aggregates was the same (p > 0.05) between treatments indicating equal search time while browsing. A carrying capacity model indicated that if all cutovers were sprayed, the treatment would have a negative impact on moose densities. Glyphosate treatments should be dispersed to create a mosaic of glyphosate treated areas next to non-treated areas. Similarily, areas of seasonal importance such as aquatics, salt licks, and calving areas should have at least a non-sprayed buffer beside them if the adjacent cut area must be treated with glyphosate

Resource selection at homesites by wolves and eastern coyotes in a \u3ci\u3eCanis\u3c/i\u3e hybrid zone

We modeled resource selection by wolves (Canis spp.), eastern coyotes (C. latrans), and admixed canids during the pup-rearing season at den and rendezvous sites (collectively, homesites) within a largely unprotected landscape proposed as the recovery zone for federally and provincially threatened eastern wolves (C. lycaon) in Ontario, Canada. Overall, canids selected wetlands, while avoiding secondary roads and open-structure rock-grass habitat patches. Packs with greater wolf ancestry selected wetlands and tertiary roads more strongly, while avoiding mixed conifer-hardwood forests. Contrary to our prediction, canids with greater coyote ancestry did not establish homesites closer to roads, which likely mitigated their risk of human-caused mortality during pup-rearing. Packs exhibited increased selection of wetlands within territories as a function of increasing availability of wetlands. Packs with abundant access to wetlands may prioritize this habitat type to exploit beavers, a valuable prey species during pup-rearing. Packs with higher pup survival selected hardwood forests and avoided conifer forests more than packs with lower pup survival. This is consistent with our understanding of habitat relations of the main prey species for canids in central Ontario and suggests that selecting prey-rich habitat types at homesites increases fitness. A proposed goal of eastern wolf recovery is numerical and geographical expansion outside of the population core in Algonquin Provincial Park. Thus, our results provide valuable information for conservation by quantifying resource selection of wolves, coyotes, and hybrids during pup-rearing and identifying links between fitness and homesite selection

Career Development for Youth with Disabilities in South Korea: The Intersection of Culture, Theory, and Policy

Youth with disabilities face difficulties resulting from attitudinal, environmental, and organizational barriers not only in initially accessing and entering school (World Health Organization [WHO], 2011), but also as they transition from school age youth to working adults.  With a focus on facilitating a better understanding of the issues, challenges, and solutions associated with the design and implementation of career development services for youth with disabilities, this article describes the status quo for students with disabilities in South Korea and then discusses career development services that potentially reduce variation, help facilitate optimal career development, and promote future employment opportunities.  To accomplish this task, we explore the intersection of culture, theory, and policy in the Korean transition service delivery system

Beyond Major Product Prediction: Reproducing Reaction Mechanisms with Machine Learning Models Trained on a Large-Scale Mechanistic Dataset

Mechanistic understanding of organic reactions can facilitate reaction development, impurity prediction, and in principle, reaction discovery. While several machine learning models have sought to address the task of predicting reaction products, their extension to predicting reaction mechanisms has been impeded by the lack of a corresponding mechanistic dataset. In this study, we construct such a dataset by imputing intermediates between experimentally reported reactants and products using expert reaction templates and train several machine learning models on the resulting dataset of 5,184,184 elementary steps. We explore the performance and capabilities of these models, focusing on their ability to predict reaction pathways and recapitulate the roles of catalysts and reagents. Additionally, we demonstrate the potential of mechanistic models in predicting impurities, often overlooked by conventional models. We conclude by evaluating the generalizability of mechanistic models to new reaction types, revealing challenges related to dataset diversity, consecutive predictions, and violations of atom conservation.Comment: 105 pages, 9 figure

Sensitivity Optimization for NV-Diamond Magnetometry

Solid-state spin systems including nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond constitute an increasingly favored quantum sensing platform. However, present NV ensemble devices exhibit sensitivities orders of magnitude away from theoretical limits. The sensitivity shortfall both handicaps existing implementations and curtails the envisioned application space. This review analyzes present and proposed approaches to enhance the sensitivity of broadband ensemble-NV-diamond magnetometers. Improvements to the spin dephasing time, the readout fidelity, and the host diamond material properties are identified as the most promising avenues and are investigated extensively. Our analysis of sensitivity optimization establishes a foundation to stimulate development of new techniques for enhancing solid-state sensor performance.Comment: 73 pages, 36 figures, 17 table

Ultralong Dephasing Times in Solid-State Spin Ensembles via Quantum Control

Quantum spin dephasing is caused by inhomogeneous coupling to the environment, with resulting limits to the measurement time and precision of spin-based sensors. The effects of spin dephasing can be especially pernicious for dense ensembles of electronic spins in the solid-state, such as for nitrogen-vacancy (NV) color centers in diamond. We report the use of two complementary techniques, spin bath control and double quantum coherence, to enhance the inhomogeneous spin dephasing time ($T_2^*$) for NV ensembles by more than an order of magnitude. In combination, these quantum control techniques (i) eliminate the effects of the dominant NV spin ensemble dephasing mechanisms, including crystal strain gradients and dipolar interactions with paramagnetic bath spins, and (ii) increase the effective NV gyromagnetic ratio by a factor of two. Applied independently, spin bath control and double quantum coherence elucidate the sources of spin dephasing over a wide range of NV and spin bath concentrations. These results demonstrate the longest reported $T_2^*$ in a solid-state electronic spin ensemble at room temperature, and outline a path towards NV-diamond magnetometers with broadband femtotesla sensitivity.Comment: PRX versio

Relationship Between Foveal Cone Specialization and Pit Morphology in Albinism

Purpose.Albinism is associated with disrupted foveal development, though intersubject variability is becoming appreciated. We sought to quantify this variability, and examine the relationship between foveal cone specialization and pit morphology in patients with a clinical diagnosis of albinism. Methods. We recruited 32 subjects with a clinical diagnosis of albinism. DNA was obtained from 25 subjects, and known albinism genes were analyzed for mutations. Relative inner and outer segment (IS and OS) lengthening (fovea-to-perifovea ratio) was determined from manually segmented spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) B-scans. Foveal pit morphology was quantified for eight subjects from macular SD-OCT volumes. Ten subjects underwent imaging with adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy (AOSLO), and cone density was measured. Results. We found mutations in 22 of 25 subjects, including five novel mutations. All subjects lacked complete excavation of inner retinal layers at the fovea, though four subjects had foveal pits with normal diameter and/or volume. Peak cone density and OS lengthening were variable and overlapped with that observed in normal controls. A fifth hyper-reflective band was observed in the outer retina on SD-OCT in the majority of the subjects with albinism. Conclusions. Foveal cone specialization and pit morphology vary greatly in albinism. Normal cone packing was observed in the absence of a foveal pit, suggesting a pit is not required for packing to occur. The degree to which retinal anatomy correlates with genotype or visual function remains unclear, and future examination of larger patient groups will provide important insight on this issue