Bobcat Predation on Quail, Birds, and Mesomammals

We reviewed 54 scientific articles about bobcat (Lynx rufus) food habits to determine the occurrence of quail, birds, and mesopredators including red (Vulpes vulpes) and gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), raccoon (Procyon lotor), skunk (Mephitis spp.), and opossum (Didelphis virginianus). Quail (Colinus virginianus, Cyrtonyx montezumae, Callipepla squamata, C. gambelii, C. californica, Oreortyx pictus) were found in 9 diet studies and constituted 3% of the bobcat diet in only 2 of 54 studies. Birds occurred in 47 studies, but were also a minor dietary component in most studies. Although mesopredators were represented as bobcat prey in 33 of 47 studies, their percent occurrence within bobcat diets was low and showed regional patterns of occurrence. Bobcats are a minor quail predator, but felid effects on mesopredators and secondary impacts on quail need to be studied

Propagation Loss of Line-Defect Photonic Crystal Slab Waveguides

Photonic crystal slab waveguides are created by inserting a linear defect in two-dimensional (2-D) periodic dielectric structures of finite height. Photonic crystals provide 2-D in-plane bandgaps through which light cannot propagate, however, the fact that the waveguide modes must be index-confined in the vertical direction implies that the propagation loss is strongly dependent on the out-of-plane radiation loss. We present a fully three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain numerical model for calculating the out-of-plane radiation loss in photonic crystal slab waveguides. The propagation loss of the single-line defect waveguide in 2-D triangular lattice photonic crystals is calculated for suspended membranes, oxidized lower claddings, and deeply etched structures. The results show that low-loss waveguides are achievable for sufficiently suspended membranes and oxidized lower cladding structures. The roles of the photonic crystal in out-of-plane loss of the waveguide modes are further analyzed. It is predicted that the out-of-plane radiation loss can be reduced by shifting one side of the photonic crystal cladding by one-half period with respect to the other sides along the propagation direction

Elevated temperature dependence of the anisotropic visible-to-ultraviolet dielectric function of monoclinic β-Ga2O3

We report on the temperature dependence of the dielectric tensor elements of n-type conductive β-Ga2O3 from 22 °C to 550 °C in the spectral range of 1.5 eV–6.4 eV. We present the temperature dependence of the excitonic and band-to-band transition energy parameters using a previously described eigendielectric summation approach [A. Mock et al., Phys. Rev. B 96, 245205 (2017)]. We utilize a Bose-Einstein analysis of the temperature dependence of the observed transition energies and reveal electron coupling with average phonon temperature in excellent agreement with the average over all longitudinal phonon plasmon coupled modes reported previously [M. Schubert et al., Phys. Rev. B 93, 125209 (2016)]. We also report a linear temperature dependence of the wavelength independent Cauchy expansion coefficient for the anisotropic below-band-gap monoclinic dielectric tensor elements

Exploring Messages African American Men Receive About Attending a Predominantly White University

This article discusses the findings of a focus group study of 10 African American undergraduate men at a predominantly White Southern research institution.  The authors explored African American menâs struggles with persistence through graduation.  Findings suggest that prior to college, participants faced distracting messages about what it means to attend a PWI from their families, schools, and community.  Implications for establishing partnerships with African American families, schools, and community organizations are discussed

Quantitative PCR assays for detection of five Alaskan fish species: Lota lota, Salvelinus alpinus, Salvelinus malma, Thymallus arcticus, and Cottus cognatus from environmental DNA

The North Slope of Alaska contains arctic fish populations that are important for subsistence of local human populations, and under threat from natural resource extraction and climate change. We designed and evaluated four quantitative PCR assays for detection of environmental DNA from five Alaskan fish species present on the North Slope of Alaska: burbot (Lota lota), arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus), Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma), arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus), and slimy sculpin (Cottus cognatus). All assays were designed and tested for species specificity and sensitivity, and all assays detected target species from filtered water samples collected from the field. These assays will enable efficient and economical detection of the above species from lakes and rivers. This in turn will provide managers with improved knowledge of current distributions and future range shifts associated with climate and development threats, enabling more timely management