Bats of Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

A survey was conducted from June 1982 through January 1987 to determine the occurrence of bat species in Hot Springs National Park, Garland County, Arkansas; an area of approximately 2025 hectares. A total of 309 bats in the families Molossidae and Vespertilionidae were captured. Species represented included: Eptesicus fuscus, Lasiurus borealis, Lasiurus cinereus, Nycticeius humeralis, Pipistrellus subflavus, and Tadarida brasiliensis cynocephala

COST SAVINGS OF TAXING LOWER-RANKING, NON-DEPENDENT MEMBERS’ BASIC ALLOWANCE FOR HOUSING FOR COLLOCATED MILITARY COUPLES

The U.S. federal deficit continues to grow yearly and is approximately $1.719 trillion for fiscal year (FY) 2022, further increasing the national debt to approximately$31.1 trillion. Our research examines possible cost-saving measures available within the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) program, specifically a tax on the BAH of the lower-ranking, non-dependent service members within military collocated couples. We utilized data from the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) to define the population data for all military collocated couples for June 2022. Of the approximate $25.6 billion in BAH paid to service members in FY22, our estimates indicate approximately$1.25 billion is paid to the lower-ranking, non-dependent members of collocated military couples. Additionally, our estimates indicate that officers would pay a 15% higher amount in tax paid than enlisted. Our analysis suggests that potential cost savings of approximately $284.5 million annually can be achieved by instituting a tax on these members’ BAH allowances plus their base pay at a tax rate commensurate with the total of both. An alternative approach provides a cost savings of approximately$151.4 million annually attained by taxing only these service members’ BAH at a tax rate commensurate with the total of the BAH alone.Lieutenant Commander, United States NavyLieutenant Junior Grade, United States NavyApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited

MAPCAT: Monitoring AGN with Polarimetry at the Calar Alto Telescopes

We introduce MAPCAT, a long-term observing program for "Monitoring of AGN with Polarimetry at the Calar Alto Telescopes". Multi-spectral-range studies are critical to understand some of the most relevant current problems of high energy astrophysics of blazars such as their high energy emission mechanisms and the location of their gamma-ray emission region through event associations across the spectrum. Adding multi-spectral-range polarimetry allows for even more reliable identification of polarized flares across the spectrum in these kind of objects, as well as for more accurate modeling of their magnetic field. As part of a major international effort to study the long term multi-spectral range polarimetric behavior of blazars, MAPCAT uses -since mid 2007- CAFOS on the 2.2m Telescope at the Calar Alto Observatory (Almeria, Spain) to obtain monthly optical (R-band) photo-polarimetric measurements of a sample of 34 of the brightest gamma-ray, optical, and radio-millimeter blazars accessible from the northern hemisphere.Comment: To be published in the proceedings of High Energy Phenomena in Relativistic Outflows III (HEPRO III, IJMPCS). 4 page

Distribution of the Southeastern Shrew (Sorex longirostris longirostris) in Arkansas

The southeastern shrew (Sorex longirostris longirostris) is considered uncommon and, due to a lack of knowledge, a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Arkansas. Also, eastern Arkansas may represent a gap in the species’ distribution. Therefore, we evaluated persistence at previous capture sites, surveyed additional counties, quantified microhabitat at our capture locations, and compiled occurrences. Since Sealander and Heidt’s (1990) Arkansas Mammals detailed its occurrence, additional captures by Huston and Nelson (1994), Showen (2006), and this study document new counties (Pope and Searcy) and a new ecoregion (Arkansas Valley). Number of specimens in Arkansas has increased to 17 in 11 counties within the Ozark Highlands, Boston Mountains, Ouachita Mountains, and Arkansas Valley Ecoregions. Our efforts to assess a potential distribution gap within the Mississippi Alluvial Plain produced only specimens of other shrew species; therefore, possible factors affecting connectivity across the Mississippi Alluvial Plain and river basin are discussed. Given sparse records in Arkansas, uncommon and Species of Greatest Conservation Need designations are warranted for the southeastern shrew

Tracing the Mass-Assembly History of Galaxies with Deep Surveys

We use the optical and near-infrared galaxy samples from the Munich Near-Infrared Cluster Survey (MUNICS), the FORS Deep Field (FDF) and GOODS-S to probe the stellar mass assembly history of field galaxies out to z ~ 5. Combining information on the galaxies' stellar mass with their star-formation rate and the age of the stellar population, we can draw important conclusions on the assembly of the most massive galaxies in the universe: These objects contain the oldest stellar populations at all redshifts probed. Furthermore, we show that with increasing redshift the contribution of star-formation to the mass assembly for massive galaxies increases dramatically, reaching the era of their formation at z ~ 2 and beyond. These findings can be interpreted as evidence for an early epoch of star formation in the most massive galaxies in the universe.Comment: 3 pages, 2 figures; published in B. Aschenbach, V. Burwitz, G. Hasinger, B. Leibundgut (eds.): "Relativistic Astrophysics and Cosmology - Einstein's Legacy. Proceedings of the Conference held in Munich, 2006", ESO Astrophysics Symposia, Springer Verlag, 2007, p. 310. Replaced to match final published versio

Notes on the Natural History of Lasiurus borealis in Arkansas

Since June 1982 we have studied various aspects of red bat ecology in Arkansas with emphasis on field work in the Ouachita Mountains and examination of specimens submitted to the Arkansas Department of Health Rabies Laboratory (ADHRL).This study reports on continued field work in the Ouachita Mountains using radiotelemetry and updates information regarding red bats submitted to the ADHRL through December 1996. In addition, we revisited a cave previously reported to contain a large number of red bat skull and skeletal remains. We also report remains from another cave system in northcentral Arkansas. These investigations have yielded additional information on distribution, growth and development of young, litter size, use of atypical roosts, active period and hibernation roost site selection, copulation, and incidence of rabies

Distribution of Baird\u27s Pocket Gopher (Geomys breviceps) In Arkansas; with Additional County Records

Recently, a population of pocket gophers in the north-central portion of Arkansas was determined to be the plains pocket gopher (Geomys Imrsarius), rather than Baird\u27s pocket gopher (Geomys breviceps). This changed the known range of both species extensively. A detailed examination of the known range of Baird\u27s pocket gophers (G. breviceps) in Arkansas resulted in 12 new county records. Biogeographically, G. breviceps appears to be found in all physiographic regions within the state with the possible exception ofCrowley\u27s ridge. It is most common in the Gulf Coastal Plain and rarest in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain. The distribution ofG. breviceps is consistent with the hypothesis that glaciation events, together withnorthward invasions from Louisiana and eastern Texas and eastward invasions from Oklahoma (around the Ouachita Mountains) were major creational forces in the establishment of the present G. breviceps distribution in Arkansas

Thermally Activated Magnetization and Resistance Decay during Near Ambient Temperature Aging of Co Nanoflakes in a Confining Semi-metallic Environment

We report the observation of magnetic and resistive aging in a self assembled nanoparticle system produced in a multilayer Co/Sb sandwich. The aging decays are characterized by an initial slow decay followed by a more rapid decay in both the magnetization and resistance. The decays are large accounting for almost 70% of the magnetization and almost 40% of the resistance for samples deposited at 35 $^oC$. For samples deposited at 50 $^oC$ the magnetization decay accounts for $\sim 50$ of the magnetization and 50% of the resistance. During the more rapid part of the decay, the concavity of the slope of the decay changes sign and this inflection point can be used to provide a characteristic time. The characteristic time is strongly and systematically temperature dependent, ranging from $\sim1$x$10^2 s$ at 400K to $\sim3$x$10^5 s$ at 320K in samples deposited at $35 ^oC$. Samples deposited at 50 $^oC$ displayed a 7-8 fold increase in the characteristic time (compared to the $35 ^oC$ samples) for a given aging temperature, indicating that this timescale may be tunable. Both the temperature scale and time scales are in potentially useful regimes. Pre-Aging, Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) reveals that the Co forms in nanoscale flakes. During aging the nanoflakes melt and migrate into each other in an anisotropic fashion forming elongated Co nanowires. This aging behavior occurs within a confined environment of the enveloping Sb layers. The relationship between the characteristic time and aging temperature fits an Arrhenius law indicating activated dynamics