Use of Recreation Opportunity Planning to Inventory Arid Lands in Eastern Oregon - A Demonstration

This paper reports on the use of computer and hand dravn techniques for Implementing the Recreation Opportunity Planning inventory and analysis phases for the Steens Mountain Recreation Lands. Techniques were compared for land classifications and time and monetary costs. Results show computer mapping less likely to result in classification errors, but more costly to conduct

Inhaled nitric oxide as an adjunct to neonatal resuscitation in premature infants: a pilot, double blind, randomized controlled trial.

BackgroundNitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in normal postnatal transition. Our aims were to determine whether adding inhaled NO (iNO) decreases supplemental oxygen exposure in preterm infants requiring positive pressure ventilation (PPV) during resuscitation and to study iNO effects on heart rate (HR), oxygen saturation (SpO2), and need for intubation during the first 20 min of life.MethodsThis was a pilot, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Infants 25 0/7-31 6/7 weeks' gestational age requiring PPV with supplemental oxygen during resuscitation were enrolled. PPV was initiated with either oxygen (FiO2-0.30) + iNO at 20 ppm (iNO group) or oxygen (FiO2-0.30) + nitrogen (placebo group). Oxygen was titrated targeting defined SpO2 per current guidelines. After 10 min, iNO/nitrogen was weaned stepwise per protocol and terminated at 17 min.ResultsTwenty-eight infants were studied (14 per group). The mean gestational age in both groups was similar. Cumulative FiO2 and rate of exposure to high FiO2 (>0.60) were significantly lower in the iNO group. There were no differences in HR, SpO2, and need for intubation.ConclusionsAdministration of iNO as an adjunct during neonatal resuscitation is feasible without side effects. It diminishes exposure to high levels of supplemental oxygen

A Test of Concepts Inherent in Experience Based Setting Management for Outdoor Recreation Areas

This study examines assumptions of the concepts which form the basis for experience based setting management of outdoor recreation areas. To test the assumptions a sample of wilderness users was surveyed and divided into experience groups based on differences in the specific experiences they desire. These experience groups were then tested for differences in their activity and setting preferences. The study was conducted at the Bridget Wilderness, the Fitzpatrick Wilderness, and the Popo Agie Primitive Area in Wyoming during 1978-79. Data were collected by questionnaire, and responses were examined by object cluster analysis to group users on the basis of the types of experiences important to them. Results offer support for the concepts tested; three groups with different preferences for experiences were identified and were found to differ on the activities, setting, and management actions they prefer. Directions for future research are given and recommendations concerning the usefulness of experience based information to recreation planning are discussed

Nano-Resolution Visual Identifiers Enable Secure Monitoring in Next-Generation Cyber-Physical Systems

Today's supply chains heavily rely on cyber-physical systems such as intelligent transportation, online shopping, and E-commerce. It is advantageous to track goods in real-time by web-based registration and authentication of products after any substantial change or relocation. Despite recent advantages in technology-based tracking systems, most supply chains still rely on plainly printed tags such as barcodes and Quick Response (QR) codes for tracking purposes. Although affordable and efficient, these tags convey no security against counterfeit and cloning attacks, raising privacy concerns. It is a critical matter since a few security breaches in merchandise databases in recent years has caused crucial social and economic impacts such as identity loss, social panic, and loss of trust in the community. This paper considers an end-to-end system using dendrites as nano-resolution visual identifiers to secure supply chains. Dendrites are formed by generating fractal metallic patterns on transparent substrates through an electrochemical process, which can be used as secure identifiers due to their natural randomness, high entropy, and unclonable features. The proposed framework compromises the back-end program for identification and authentication, a web-based application for mobile devices, and a cloud database. We review architectural design, dendrite operational phases (personalization, registration, inspection), a lightweight identification method based on 2D graph-matching, and a deep 3D image authentication method based on Digital Holography (DH). A two-step search is proposed to make the system scalable by limiting the search space to samples with high similarity scores in a lower-dimensional space. We conclude by presenting our solution to make dendrites secure against adversarial attacks

Direct and Inverse Results on Bounded Domains for Meshless Methods via Localized Bases on Manifolds

This article develops direct and inverse estimates for certain finite dimensional spaces arising in kernel approximation. Both the direct and inverse estimates are based on approximation spaces spanned by local Lagrange functions which are spatially highly localized. The construction of such functions is computationally efficient and generalizes the construction given by the authors for restricted surface splines on $\mathbb{R}^d$. The kernels for which the theory applies includes the Sobolev-Mat\'ern kernels for closed, compact, connected, $C^\infty$ Riemannian manifolds.Comment: 29 pages. To appear in Festschrift for the 80th Birthday of Ian Sloa

Determining puma habitat suitability in the Eastern USA

Pumas (Puma concolor) were eliminated from most of the eastern USA a century ago. In the past couple of decades, their recovery in the West has increased puma dispersal into the Midwest, with some individuals even traveling to the East Coast. We combined published expert opinion data and a habitat suitability index in an analysis that identified 17 areas in the Upper Midwest, Ozarks, Appalachia, and New England that could potentially host puma populations in the future. Thirteen of these were larger than 10,000 km2 and so likely to ensure a puma population’s long-term genetic health. Further, we quantified patch size, human density, livestock density, percent public land, and a sociocultural index reflecting wildlife values for comparing patches, as well as present a summary of current legislation relevant to puma management in the East. Our work may be useful in identifying suitable areas to restore pumas based not only on the quality of their biophysical habitat, but also on social values conducive to puma-human coexistence

Correction to: Determining puma habitat suitability in the Eastern USA (Biodiversity and Conservation, (2023), 10.1007/s10531-022-02529-z)

In the original article, One of the author names was incorrectly misspelled as Tom Bulter. It must be published as “Tom Butler”. The original article has been corrected

State fish and wildlife agency culture: Access points to leverage major change

Amid a time of unprecedented social-ecological change, professionals within and outside of the US wildlife conservation community have called for transformation of existing processes and structures to ensure that the benefits of wildlife conservation can be realized well into the future. Current momentum behind an initiative to help increase conservation relevancy among population segments that have historically been underserved by the conservation community is underway. Sustainable institutional change will not be realized, however, without attending to internal cultural change within the conservation community itself. Although elements of an ideal institution have been suggested, specific interventions related to institutional culture need deeper exploration. State fish and wildlife agencies&mdash;a primary organizational actor within the conservation community&mdash;play a central role in institutional transformation. Using a systems framework, this essay describes key leverage points for cultural change for which interventions could result in sustainable culture shifts. Five possible interventions are introduced to stimulate conversation among conservation practitioners seeking to initiate transformational change within their specific cultural contexts. &nbsp;</p

The Cul3–KLHL21 E3 ubiquitin ligase targets Aurora B to midzone microtubules in anaphase and is required for cytokinesis

Selective ubiquitination of Aurora B by different Cul3 adaptors targets it at the correct time to the correct place during mitosis

Integrating social science into conservation planning

A growing body of literature has highlighted the value of social science for conservation, yet the diverse approaches of the social sciences are still inconsistently incorporated in conservation initiatives. Building greater capacity for social science integration in conservation requires frameworks and case studies that provide concrete guidance and specific examples. To address this need, we have developed a framework aimed at expanding the role for social science in formal conservation planning processes. Our framework illustrates multiple ways in which social science research can contribute to four stages of such processes: 1) defining the problem and project team; 2) defining goals; 3) identifying impact pathways and designing interventions; and 4) developing and evaluating indicators of success (or failure). We then present a timely case study of wolf reintroduction in Colorado, U.S.A., to demonstrate the opportunities, challenges, and complexities of applying our framework in practice