Is there a single best estimator? Selection of home range estimators using area-under-the-curve

Background: Global positioning system (GPS) technology for monitoring home range and movements of wildlife has resulted in prohibitively large sample sizes of locations for traditional estimators of home range. We used areaunder- the-curve to explore the fit of 8 estimators of home range to data collected with both GPS and concurrent very high frequency (VHF) technology on a terrestrial mammal, the Florida panther Puma concolor coryi, to evaluate recently developed and traditional estimators. Results: Area-under-the-curve was the highest for Florida panthers equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS) technology compared to VHF technology. For our study animal, estimators of home range that incorporated a temporal component to estimation performed better than traditional first- and second-generation estimators. Conclusions: Comparisons of fit of home range contours with locations collected would suggest that use of VHF technology is not as accurate as GPS technology to estimate size of home range for large mammals. Estimators of home range collected with GPS technology performed better than those estimated with VHF technology regardless of estimator used. Furthermore, estimators that incorporate a temporal component (third-generation estimators) appeared to be the most reliable regardless of whether kernel-based or Brownian bridge-based algorithms were used and in comparison to first- and second-generation estimators. We defined third-generation estimators of home range as any estimator that incorporates time, space, animal-specific parameters, and habitat. Such estimators would include movement-based kernel density, Brownian bridge movement models, and dynamic Brownian bridge movement models among others that have yet to be evaluated

Temporal Trends in Florida Panther Food Habits

Once on the brink of extinction, the Florida panther (Puma concolor coryi) has reoccupied parts of its extirpated range in southern Florida, USA over the past 20 years, which has largely been attributed to genetic restoration efforts initiated in 1995 to combat inbreeding depression and subsequent deleterious traits. Concurrent to the resurgence, an increase in documented livestock depredation events has heightened concern over human– panther conflicts. We examined 312 stomach content, scat, and feces (large intestine contents) samples collected 1989 to 2014 across the endemic range in southern Florida. We compared frequency of occurrence of prey items in samples by temporal (pre- and post-genetic restoration), geographic (north and south of 26° 10.017′ latitude), and demographic (age and sex) categories. We observed an apparent temporal shift in prey item occurrence in scats, where raccoon (Procyon lotor) occurrence increased while wild hog (Sus scrofa) occurrence decreased, whereas white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) occurrence appeared constant. Post-genetic restoration, we observed a geographic difference in panther prey, where white-tailed deer and raccoons were consumed more commonly in the southern part of the study area (characterized by lower soil quality and higher hydrological fluctuations), while wild hogs were consumed more frequently in the northern part of the study area. Neither sex nor age appeared to affect frequency of prey occurrence. Pets and livestock were not frequently found in the samples we examined. Overall, our results show shifts in panther diets both temporally and geographically; however, no notable changes in frequency of livestock found in panther diets were observed

Genetic Introgression and the Survival of Florida Panther Kittens

Estimates of survival for the young of a species are critical for population models. These models can often be improved by determining the effects of management actions and population abundance on this demographic parameter. We used multiple sources of data collected during 1982–2008 and a live-recapture dead-recovery modeling framework to estimate and model survival of Florida panther (Puma concolor coryi) kittens (age 0–1 year). Overall, annual survival of Florida panther kittens was 0.323 ± 0.071 (SE), which was lower than estimates used in previous population models. In 1995, female pumas from Texas (P. c. stanleyana) were released into occupied panther range as part of an intentional introgression program to restore genetic variability. We found that kitten survival generally increased with degree of admixture: F1 admixed and backcrossed to Texas kittens survived better than canonical Florida panther and backcrossed to canonical kittens. Average heterozygosity positively influenced kitten and older panther survival, whereas index of panther abundance negatively influenced kitten survival. Our results provide strong evidence for the positive population-level impact of genetic introgression on Florida panthers. Our approach to integrate data from multiple sources was effective at improving robustness as well as precision of estimates of Florida panther kitten survival, and can be useful in estimating vital rates for other elusive species with sparse data

Investigation of Association between PFO Complicated by Cryptogenic Stroke and a Common Variant of the Cardiac Transcription Factor GATA4

Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is associated with clinical conditions including cryptogenic stroke, migraine and varicose veins. Data from studies in humans and mouse suggest that PFO and the secundum form of atrial septal defect (ASDII) exist in an anatomical continuum of septal dysmorphogenesis with a common genetic basis. Mutations in multiple members of the evolutionarily conserved cardiac transcription factor network, including GATA4, cause or predispose to ASDII and PFO. Here, we assessed whether the most prevalent variant of the GATA4 gene, S377G, was significantly associated with PFO or ASD. Our analysis of world indigenous populations showed that GATA4 S377G was largely Caucasian-specific, and so subjects were restricted to those of Caucasian descent. To select for patients with larger PFO, we limited our analysis to those with cryptogenic stroke in which PFO was a subsequent finding. In an initial study of Australian subjects, we observed a weak association between GATA4 S377G and PFO/Stroke relative to Caucasian controls in whom ASD and PFO had been excluded (OR = 2.16; p = 0.02). However, in a follow up study of German Caucasians no association was found with either PFO or ASD. Analysis of combined Australian and German data confirmed the lack of a significant association. Thus, the common GATA4 variant S377G is likely to be relatively benign in terms of its participation in CHD and PFO/Stroke

Evidence for X(3872) → Ψ (2S)y in B^± → X(3872)K^± Decays and a Study of B → ccyK

In a search for B → ccyK decays with the BABAR detector, where cc includes J/Ψ and Ψ (2S), and K includes K^±, K^0_S , and K^*(892), we find evidence for X(3872) → J/Ψy and X(3872) → Ψ (2S) with 3:6σ and 3:5σ significance, respectively. We measure the product of branching fractions B(B^± → X(3872)K^±)B(X(3872) → J/Ψy)= [2:8 ± 0:8(stat) ± 0:1(syst)]X 10^(-6) and B(B^± → X(3872)K^±) X B(X(3872) → Ψ (2S)y) = [9:5 ± 2:7(stat) ± 0:6(syst)] X 10^(-6)

Measurement of D^0-D̅ ^0 Mixing from a Time-Dependent Amplitude Analysis of D^0→K^+π^-π^0 Decays

We present evidence of D^0-D̅ ^0 mixing using a time-dependent amplitude analysis of the decay D^0→K^+π^-π^0 in a data sample of 384  fb^(-1) collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II e^+e^- collider at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. Assuming CP conservation, we measure the mixing parameters x_(Kππ)^(0′)=[2.61_(-0.68)^(+0.57)(stat)±0.39(syst)]%, y_(Kππ)^(0′)=[-0.06_(-0.64)^(+0.55)(stat)±0.34(syst)]%. This result is inconsistent with the no-mixing hypothesis with a significance of 3.2 standard deviations. We find no evidence of CP violation in mixing

Measurements of [script B]([overline B]^0 → Λ_c^+[overline p]) and [script B](B^- → Λ_c^+[overline p]π^-) and studies of Λ_c^+π^- resonances

We present an investigation of the decays [overline B]^0 → Λ_c^+[overline p] and B^- → Λ_c^+[overline p]π^- based on 383×10^6 γ(4S) → B[overline B] decays recorded with the BABAR detector. We measure the branching fractions of these decays; their ratio is [script B](B^- → Λ_c^+[overline p]π^-)/[script B]([overline B]^0 → Λ_c^+[overline p])=15.4 ± 1.8 ± 0.3. The B^- → Λ_c^+[overline p]π^- process exhibits an enhancement at the Λ_c^+[overline p] threshold and is a laboratory for searches for excited charm baryon states. We observe the resonant decays B^- → ∑_c(2455)^0[overline p] and B^- → ∑_c(2800)^0[overline p] but see no evidence for B^- → ∑_c(2520)^0[overline p]. This is the first observation of the decay B^- → ∑_c(2800)^0[overline p]; however, the mass of the observed excited ∑_c^0 state is (2846 ± 8 ± 10) MeV/c^2, which is somewhat inconsistent with previous measurements. Finally, we examine the angular distribution of the B^- → ∑_c(2455)^0[overline p] decays and measure the spin of the ∑_c(2455)^0 baryon to be 1/2, as predicted by the quark model

Measurement of time dependent CP asymmetry parameters in B0 meson decays to omegaK_S^0, eta^([prime])K^0, and pi^0K_S^0

We present measurements of the time-dependent CP-violation parameters S and C in the decays B0-->omegaKS0, B0-->eta[prime]K0, reconstructed as eta[prime]KS0 and eta[prime]KL0, and B0-->pi0KS0. The data sample corresponds to the full BABAR dataset of 467×106 B[overline B] pairs produced at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy e+e- collider at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. The results are SomegaKS0=0.55-0.29+0.26±0.02, ComegaKS0=-0.52-0.20+0.22±0.03, Seta[prime]K0=0.57±0.08±0.02, Ceta[prime]K0=-0.08±0.06±0.02, Spi0KS0=0.55±0.20±0.03, and Cpi0KS0=0.13±0.13±0.03, where the first errors are statistical and the second systematic. These results are consistent with our previous measurements and the world average of sin2beta measured in B0-->J/psiKS0