Non-Target Hazard Assessment of Using DRC-1339 Avicide to Manage Blackbirds in Sunflower

Terrestrial hazard assessments were conducted for the spring blackbird baiting program to protect sunflower crops. Risk Assessment methodology proposed by the Ecological Committee on FIFRA Risk Assessment Methods (ECOFRAM) and the method currently used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (LD50s/ft2) were compared for their predictive strengths and for the ease of adapting the assessment to site specific conditions. While the ECOFRAM and LD50s/ft2 methods identified the same groups of organisms as being at risk, the flexibility of the ECOFRAM methodology allowed more latitude in adapting the assessment to unique behaviors of individual species. These risk assessment approaches indicate that blackbird baiting with DRC-1339 presents acute hazards to select nontarget birds like western meadowlarks and mourning doves but few hazards to most mammals or small granivorous birds like sparrows and finches. However, field experiments indicate that the mitigation measures currently employed in the baiting program, minimize the nontarget hazards

Administering GonaCon\u3csup\u3eTM\u3c/sup\u3e to White-Tailed Deer Via Hand-Injection Versus Syringe-Dart

Immunocontraceptive vaccines have shown some promise for fertility control of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in urban and suburban habitats where traditional methods of population control may not be applicable. Currently, the only contraceptive vaccine approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for use in white-tailed deer is GonaConTM Immunocontraceptive Vaccine, but it is registered for use via hand-injection only. It has been suggested that remote-delivery of immunocontraceptives would be more cost-effective than hand-injection, but there is the potential for incomplete injection from a syringe-dart. Therefore, the purpose of our research was to: (1) conduct a dart configuration assessment trial to determine the ideal syringe-dart configuration for remote-delivery of GonaCon to white-tailed deer and (2) use the determined syringe-dart configuration in a subsequent trial to evaluate the vaccine efficacy when administered to female white-tailed deer via hand-injection versus syringe-dart. We saw comparable results with regard to vaccine dispersal during the dart configuration assessment and the efficacy trial; syringedart injected deer presented vaccine deposits and reaction sites both subcutaneously and intramuscularly, whereas, hand-injected deer presented vaccine deposits and reaction sites only intramuscularly. One year after administration, 4 of 5 deer treated with syringe-darts were pregnant, compared to 3 of 6 deer that received hand-injections. Anti-GnRH titers were negatively related to pregnancy status. We did not observe a high level of vaccine efficacy with the syringe-dart delivery method we used. Therefore, we recommend further research of syringe-dart delivery of GonaCon with a larger sample size where the vaccine is deployed in a single bolus similar to a hand-injected presentation

A Robust AFPTAS for Online Bin Packing with Polynomial Migration

In this paper we develop general LP and ILP techniques to find an approximate solution with improved objective value close to an existing solution. The task of improving an approximate solution is closely related to a classical theorem of Cook et al. in the sensitivity analysis for LPs and ILPs. This result is often applied in designing robust algorithms for online problems. We apply our new techniques to the online bin packing problem, where it is allowed to reassign a certain number of items, measured by the migration factor. The migration factor is defined by the total size of reassigned items divided by the size of the arriving item. We obtain a robust asymptotic fully polynomial time approximation scheme (AFPTAS) for the online bin packing problem with migration factor bounded by a polynomial in $\frac{1}{\epsilon}$. This answers an open question stated by Epstein and Levin in the affirmative. As a byproduct we prove an approximate variant of the sensitivity theorem by Cook at el. for linear programs

Academic freedom in Europe: reviewing UNESCO’s recommendation

This paper examines the compliance of universities in the European Union with the UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher–Education Teaching Personnel, which deals primarily with protection for academic freedom. The paper briefly surveys the European genesis of the modern research university and academic freedom, before evaluating compliance with the UNESCO recommendation on institutional autonomy, academic freedom, university governance and tenure. Following from this, the paper examines the reasons for the generally low level of compliance with the UNESCO Recommendation within the EU states, and considers how such compliance could be improved

In situ evaluation of an automated aerial bait delivery system for landscape-scale control of invasive brown treesnakes on Guam

After decades of biodiversity loss and economic burden caused by the brown treesnake invasion on the Pacific island of Guam, relief hovers on the horizon. Previous work by USDA Wildlife Services (WS) and its National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) demonstrated that brown treesnake numbers in forested habitats can be dramatically suppressed by aerial delivery of dead newborn mouse (DNM) baits treated with 80 mg of acetaminophen. However, manual bait preparation and application is impractical for landscape-scale treatment. WS, NWRC, and the US Department of the Interior have collaborated with Applied Design Corporation to engineer an automated bait manufacturing and delivery system. The core technology is an aerially delivered biodegradable “bait cartridge” designed to tangle in the tree canopy, making the acetaminophen bait available to treesnakes and out of reach of terrestrial non-target organisms. When mounted on a rotary- or fixed-wing airframe, the automated dispensing module (ADM) unit can broadcast 3,600 bait cartridges at a rate of four per second and can treat 30 hectares of forest at a density of 120 acetaminophen baits per hectare within 15 minutes of firing time. We conducted the first in situ evaluation of the ADM in July 2016. Initial acetaminophen bait deployment rates (proper opening of the bait cartridge for canopy entanglement) were low, and mechanism jams were frequent due to internal friction and wind forces; on-site remedial engineering improved these performance measures. Bait cartridge placement and spacing were accurate (average 8.9 m along 9 m swaths) under various flight heights and speeds. Canopy entanglement of properly-deployed acetaminophen baits was high (66.6%). Although only a small proportion (5.9%) of radio transmitter-equipped acetaminophen baits were confirmed to have been taken by brown treesnakes, the baiting density was high enough to make it likely that a significant proportion of brown treesnakes in the area had taken acetaminophen baits. With subsequent improvements in system reliability, the automated bait cartridge manufacturing and delivery system is poised to transition from research and development to operational field implementation. Applications include reduction of brown treesnake numbers around transportation infrastructure and within core habitats for the reintroduction of native birds extirpated by this troublesome invasive predator

In situ evaluation of an automated aerial bait delivery system for landscape-scale control of invasive brown treesnakes on Guam

After decades of biodiversity loss and economic burden caused by the brown treesnake invasion on the Pacific island of Guam, relief hovers on the horizon. Previous work by USDA Wildlife Services (WS) and its National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) demonstrated that brown treesnake numbers in forested habitats can be dramatically suppressed by aerial delivery of dead newborn mouse (DNM) baits treated with 80 mg of acetaminophen. However, manual bait preparation and application is impractical for landscape-scale treatment. WS, NWRC, and the US Department of the Interior have collaborated with Applied Design Corporation to engineer an automated bait manufacturing and delivery system. The core technology is an aerially delivered biodegradable “bait cartridge” designed to tangle in the tree canopy, making the acetaminophen bait available to treesnakes and out of reach of terrestrial non-target organisms. When mounted on a rotary- or fixed-wing airframe, the automated dispensing module (ADM) unit can broadcast 3,600 bait cartridges at a rate of four per second and can treat 30 hectares of forest at a density of 120 acetaminophen baits per hectare within 15 minutes of firing time. We conducted the first in situ evaluation of the ADM in July 2016. Initial acetaminophen bait deployment rates (proper opening of the bait cartridge for canopy entanglement) were low, and mechanism jams were frequent due to internal friction and wind forces; on-site remedial engineering improved these performance measures. Bait cartridge placement and spacing were accurate (average 8.9 m along 9 m swaths) under various flight heights and speeds. Canopy entanglement of properly-deployed acetaminophen baits was high (66.6%). Although only a small proportion (5.9%) of radio transmitter-equipped acetaminophen baits were confirmed to have been taken by brown treesnakes, the baiting density was high enough to make it likely that a significant proportion of brown treesnakes in the area had taken acetaminophen baits. With subsequent improvements in system reliability, the automated bait cartridge manufacturing and delivery system is poised to transition from research and development to operational field implementation. Applications include reduction of brown treesnake numbers around transportation infrastructure and within core habitats for the reintroduction of native birds extirpated by this troublesome invasive predator

Effect of withdrawing feed from hogs prior to slaughter on the prevalence of gastrointestinal lacerations at slaughter

To help producers decide whether they should withdraw feed prior to slaughter, we designed a study that examined the effect of feed withdrawal on the proportion of gastrointestinal tract lacerations, prevalence of Salmonella spp. in cecal contents at slaughter, prevalence and severity of gastric ulcers, and meat quality as measured by ultimate pH, color, and water holding capacity. Finally, we analyzed the economic impact of the treatments. This report focuses on the prevalence of lacerations of the gastrointestinal tract found at slaughter. We followed to slaughter, in 3 marketing groups, 900 National Pig Development barrows that we had assigned to treatment. Each marketing group (feed withdrawn once, first group; twice, second group; or three times, third group) had an equal number of pigs that had feed withdrawn for 0 (control) 12, or 24 hours. Overall, 15.7% of gastrointestinal tracts were lacerated in one or more sections including the stomach (8.4%), colon (5.7%), small intestine (2.1 %), and ceca (0.9%). The withdrawal of feed before slaughter decreased the weight of the gastrointestinal tract. The proportion of lacerations in this study (15.5%) is higher than previously reported (4.5%). The difference may be due to the higher rate of evisceration (18 pigs per minute), or our more detailed examination of the gastrointestinal tracts

Semi-Automatic Classification of Weather Maps

In this paper we analyze weather maps to distinguish between the three main circulation forms which are essential factors for weather composition and are fundamental for weather forecasters. We propose a set of features specifically tailored for the classification of these circulation forms in General Weather Situations and use these to train a support vector machine for classification. Additionally, we propose a semi-automatic algorithm to extract the necessary data directly from the weather maps itself. This enables us to also analyze historic map material for which the original data is not available anymore. In order to reconstruct the weather data, we extract and analyze the isolines from the weather maps based on color and line thickness as well as symbolic and numerical features using template matching techniques. We reconstruct the dense wind alignment field and air velocity field from these sparse data and extract expressive feature vectors to classify the presented main circulation forms. Our algorithm shows an overall classification success rate of 61% for the three main circulation forms zonal, meridional and mixed

Prevalence of Salmonella spp in the feces on farm and ceca at slaughter for a cohort of finishing pigs

To help producers decide whether they should withdraw feed prior to slaughter. we designed a study that examined the effect of feed withdrawal on the proportion of gastrointestinal tract lacerations. prevalence of Salmonella spp. in cecal contents at slaughter, prevalence and severity of gastric ulcers, and meat quality as measured by ultimate pH. color, and water holding capacity. Finally, we analyzed the economic impact of the treatments. This report focuses on the prevalence of Salmonella spp. in feces on the farm and cecal contents at slaughter

Queer Youth and the Culture Wars: From Classroom to Courtroom in Australia, Canada and the United States

This article builds on Lugg\u27s (2006) discussion of surveillance in public schools and how queer youth are resisting schools\u27 current efforts to regulate sexual orientation and gender expression in the U.S. and internationally. Legal complaints initiated by queer youth against their schools for harassment and access to extra-curricular activities are discussed. The number of cases in the past five years has increased significantly and the courts are siding with the youth and their allies, demonstrating that queer youth are significantly impacting the dismantling of heteronormative regulatory regimes and improving the school experiences for themselves and queer adults