Simple Models Outperform More Complex Big-Leaf Models of Daily Transpiration in Forested Biomes

Transpiration makes up the bulk of total evaporation in forested environments yet remains challenging to predict at landscape-to-global scales. We harnessed independent estimates of daily transpiration derived from co-located sap flow and eddy-covariance measurement systems and applied the triple collocation technique to evaluate predictions from big leaf models requiring no calibration. In total, four models in 608 unique configurations were evaluated at 21 forested sites spanning a wide diversity of biophysical attributes and environmental backgrounds. We found that simpler models that neither explicitly represented aerodynamic forcing nor canopy conductance achieved higher accuracy and signal-to-noise levels when optimally configured (rRMSE = 20%; R2 = 0.89). Irrespective of model type, optimal configurations were those making use of key plant functional type dependent parameters, daily LAI, and constraints based on atmospheric moisture demand over soil moisture supply. Our findings have implications for more informed water resource management based on hydrological modeling and remote sensing.publishedVersio

Machine Learning as a Tool for Wildlife Management and Research: The Case of Wild Pig-Related Content on Twitter

Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are a non-native, invasive species that cause considerable damage and transmit a variety of diseases to livestock, people, and wildlife. We explored Twitter, the most popular social media micro-blogging platform, to demonstrate how social media data can be leveraged to investigate social identity and sentiment toward wild pigs. In doing so, we employed a sophisticated machine learning approach to investigate: (1) the overall sentiment associated with the dataset, (2) online identities via user profile descriptions, and (3) the extent to which sentiment varied by online identity. Results indicated that the largest groups of online identity represented in our dataset were females and people whose occupation was in journalism and media communication. While the majority of our data indicated a negative sentiment toward wild pigs and other related search terms, users who identified with agriculture-related occupations had more favorable sentiment. Overall, this article is an important starting point for further investigation of the use of social media data and social identity in the context of wild pigs and other invasive species

A 25-Year Analysis of the American College of Gastroenterology Research Grant Program: Factors Associated With Publication and Advancement in Academics

The American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) has awarded research grants for 25 years. We assessed the characteristics of grant recipients, their current academic status, and the likelihood of publication resulting from the grant

Social identity and acceptability of wild pig (Sus scrofa) control actions: A case study of Texas hunters

Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) pose significant challenges to wildlife managers. This research explored Texas hunters’ acceptability of wild pig control actions, and whether acceptability varied according to hunters’ affiliation with four different categories of natural resource organizations as an indicator of social identity. Results of a survey (n = 37,317) revealed that most hunters were accepting of all control actions except toxicants and non-lethal deterrents. Mean acceptability scores for each action differed significantly across the four affiliation categories, but effect sizes were minimal. Hunters affiliated with agricultural organizations were the most accepting of control actions, while hunters with no organizational affiliations were least accepting. Findings suggested that while the type of organization with which a hunter affiliates provides some basis for predicting acceptability of control actions, the association is likely not significant enough to warrant differentiating wild pig outreach messaging on the basis of affiliation

Texas Hunters’ Perceptions Regarding the Acceptability of Toxicants to Control Wild Pig Populations

Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are an invasive species in the United States. They damage agriculture, degrade water quality and ecological communities, and host a number of viruses, parasites, and bacteria transmissible to humans and animals. In states such as Texas, USA, where wild pigs cause extensive damage to agriculture and property, officials have considered allowing for the use of toxicants to control wild pig populations. To provide decision-makers with information regarding stakeholders’ perceptions of the use of toxicants to control wild pigs, we surveyed Texas hunters in 2019 to assess the level of acceptance of a hypothetical wild pig toxicant, the sociodemographic and other factors most closely associated with acceptability of such a toxicant, and the specific concerns that underlie hunters’ positions on the use of such a toxicant. We received 37,317 completed responses to an online, self-administered survey. Respondents were divided over the use of a toxicant, with 43% finding a toxicant acceptable, 18% neutral, and 39% finding a toxicant unacceptable. The factor most closely associated with acceptance of a wild pig toxicant was respondents’ desired wild pig population size in Texas (χ2 = 3,657.7, P \u3c 0.001, V = 0.26), with 70% of respondents who preferred that wild pigs be completely removed from Texas finding the use of a toxicant to be acceptable, compared to 14% of respondents who preferred that wild pig populations increase or stay the same. The most commonly raised concerns in connection with toxicant usage were potential negative impacts to nontarget animals (33%) and negative impacts to human health (24%). Our research suggests that while achieving a consensus among Texas hunters on toxicant usage is unrealistic, building majority support may be possible if the identified concerns are sufficiently addressed in product development and outreach

The Ursinus Weekly, October 21, 1976

Ursinus news in brief: Parsons recovering; Damage fines abolished; Young Democrats revived; Homecoming planned; Voter registration held; MBA fair planned • Messiah cut back • Placement meetings set • Commuters organize • SAC reports • Comment: The ugly American lives on • Richter talks to freshmen • Comment: Alumni-student relations • Rheinpfalz folk culture • Bob Dean: Artist • proTheatre produces one acts • Beautiful noise • Operation: White Cloud • Coming campus events • Handwerk replaces Fry • Soccer drops three • Bears lose • X-Country splits • Kang\u27s return • McGinnis views NBA and Sixershttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1059/thumbnail.jp

Overutilization of endoscopic surveillance in nondysplastic Barrett's esophagus: a multicenter study

Guidelines suggest that patients with non-dysplastic BE undergo endoscopic surveillance every 3–5 years, but actual utilization of surveillance endoscopy and the determinants of variation in surveillance intervals are not known

Haze in Pluto's atmosphere: Results from SOFIA and ground-based observations of the 2015 June 29 Pluto occultation

On UT 29 June 2015, the occultation by Pluto of a bright star (r′ = 11.9) was observed from the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) and several ground-based stations in New Zealand and Australia. Pre-event astrometry allowed for an in-flight update to the SOFIA team with the result that SOFIA was deep within the central flash zone (~22 km from center). Analysis of the combined data leads to the result that Pluto's middle atmosphere is essentially unchanged from 2011 and 2013 (Person et al. 2013; Bosh et al. 2015); there has been no significant expansion or contraction of the atmosphere. Additionally, our multi-wavelength observations allow us to conclude that a haze component in the atmosphere is required to reproduce the light curves obtained. This haze scenario has implications for understanding the photochemistry of Pluto's atmosphere