Space use by resident and transient coyotes in an urban–rural landscape mosaic

Context. Coyotes (Canis latrans) have adapted successfully to human landscape alteration in the past 150 years and in recent decades have successfully moved into urban areas. While this causes concern about human–wildlife conflicts, research also suggests that coyotes tend to avoid humans and human activity in urban areas. For improving management, a better understanding of space use by coyotes is needed. Aims. To study how coyote social behaviour influences fine-scale space use in urban areas we present results from an extensive, multi-year GPS telemetry study (2005–13). The study area in coastal Rhode Island is a mosaic of rural, suburban and urban land use and coyotes have only recently arrived. Methods. We differentiated between two social classes: residents (individuals that have established a territory; n = 24) and transients (individuals that have no territory; n = 7). Space use was analysed using mixed effect models and detailed land-cover data. Key results. Coyotes tended to select for agricultural and densely vegetated land cover and against land used for housing and commerce. Pasture and cropland were preferred by residents and avoided by transients, especially at night, indicating the role of agricultural land as prime foraging habitat. Both groups selected densely vegetated land cover for daytime shelter sites. Transients selected for densely vegetated land cover both day and night, indicating use for both shelter and foraging. Resident coyotes avoided high- and medium-density housing more than transients. Conclusions. We interpret land-cover selection by resident coyotes as indicative of coyote habitat preference, while transients more often occupied marginal habitats that probably do not reflect their preferences. Differences in land cover selection between residents and transients suggest that transients have a corollary strategy to avoid residents. Implications. With cover and food appearing to be important drivers of space use, coexistence strategies can build on controlling food resources as well as on the tendency of coyotes to avoid humans. Nevertheless, transients, having the need to avoid territorial resident coyotes as well, show a reduced aversion to land cover with high human activity, creating a higher potential for human–wildlife conflicts

Impact of granulation effects on the use of Balmer lines as temperature indicators

Balmer lines serve as important indicators of stellar effective temperatures in late-type stellar spectra. One of their modelling uncertainties is the influence of convective flows on their shape. We aim to characterize the influence of convection on the wings of Balmer lines. We perform a differential comparison of synthetic Balmer line profiles obtained from 3D hydrodynamical model atmospheres and 1D hydrostatic standard ones. The model parameters are appropriate for F,G,K dwarf and subgiant stars of metallicity ranging from solar to 1/1000 solar. The shape of the Balmer lines predicted by 3D models can never be exactly reproduced by a 1D model, irrespective of its effective temperature. We introduce the concept of a 3D temperature correction, as the effective temperature difference between a 3D model and a 1D model which provides the closest match to the 3D profile. The temperature correction is different for the different members of the Balmer series and depends on the adopted mixing-length parameter in the 1D model. Among the investigated models, the 3D correction ranges from -300K to +300K. Horizontal temperature fluctuations tend to reduce the 3D correction. Accurate effective temperatures cannot be derived from the wings of Balmer lines, unless the effects of convection are properly accounted for. The 3D models offer a physically well justified way of doing so. The use of 1D models treating convection with the mixing-length theory do not appear to be suitable for this purpose. In particular, there are indications that it is not possible to determine a single value of the mixing-length parameter which will optimally reproduce the Balmer lines for any choice of atmospheric parameters.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Big Data Analysis

The value of big data is predicated on the ability to detect trends and patterns and more generally to make sense of the large volumes of data that is often comprised of a heterogeneous mix of format, structure, and semantics. Big data analysis is the component of the big data value chain that focuses on transforming raw acquired data into a coherent usable resource suitable for analysis. Using a range of interviews with key stakeholders in small and large companies and academia, this chapter outlines key insights, state of the art, emerging trends, future requirements, and sectorial case studies for data analysis

A computational model of rabbit geometry and ECG: Optimizing ventricular activation sequence and APD distribution

Computational modeling of electrophysiological properties of the rabbit heart is a commonly used way to enhance and/or complement findings from classic lab work on single cell or tissue levels. Yet, thus far, there was no possibility to extend the scope to include the resulting body surface potentials as a way of validation or to investigate the effect of certain pathologies. Based on CT imaging, we developed the first openly available computational geometrical model not only of the whole heart but also the complete torso of the rabbit. Additionally, we fabricated a 32-lead ECG-vest to record body surface potential signals of the aforementioned rabbit. Based on the developed geometrical model and the measured signals, we then optimized the activation sequence of the ventricles, recreating the functionality of the Purkinje network, and we investigated different apico-basal and transmural gradients in action potential duration. Optimization of the activation sequence resulted in an average root mean square error between measured and simulated signal of 0.074 mV/ms for all leads. The best-fit T-Wave, compared to measured data (0.038 mV/ms), resulted from incorporating an action potential duration gradient from base to apex with a respective shortening of 20 ms and a transmural gradient with a shortening of 15 ms from endocardium to epicardium. By making our model and measured data openly available, we hope to give other researchers the opportunity to verify their research, as well as to create the possibility to investigate the impact of electrophysiological alterations on body surface signals for translational research

Coude-feed stellar spectral library - atmospheric parameters

Context: Empirical libraries of stellar spectra play an important role in different fields. For example, they are used as reference for the automatic determination of atmospheric parameters, or for building synthetic stellar populations to study galaxies. The CFLIB (Coude-feed library, Indo-US) database is at present one of the most complete libraries, in terms of its coverage of the atmospheric parameters space (Teff, log g and [Fe/H]) and wavelength coverage 3460 - 9464 A at a resolution of 1 A FWHM. Although the atmospheric parameters of most of the stars were determined from detailed analyses of high-resolution spectra, for nearly 300 of the 1273 stars of the library at least one of the three parameters is missing. For the others, the measurements, compiled from the literature, are inhomogeneous. Aims: In this paper, we re-determine the atmospheric parameters, directly using the CFLIB spectra, and compare them to the previous studies. Methods: We use the ULySS program to derive the atmospheric parameters, using the ELODIE library as a reference. Results: Based on comparisons with several previous studies we conclude that our determinations are unbiased. For the 958 F,G, and K type stars the precision on Teff, log g, and [Fe/H] is respectively 43 K, 0.13 dex and 0.05 dex. For the 53 M stars they are 82 K, 0.22 dex and 0.28 dex. And, for the 260 OBA type stars the relative precision on Teff is 5.1%, and on log g, and [Fe/H] the precision is respectively 0.19 dex and 0.16 dex. These parameters will be used to re-calibrate the CFLIB fluxes and to produce synthetic spectra of stellar populations.Comment: 51 pages, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic

The impact of land use/land cover scale on modelling urban ecosystem services

Context Urbanisation places increasing stress on ecosystem services; however existing methods and data for testing relationships between service delivery and urban landscapes remain imprecise and uncertain. Unknown impacts of scale are among several factors that complicate research. This study models ecosystem services in the urban area comprising the towns of Milton Keynes, Bedford and Luton which together represent a wide range of the urban forms present in the UK. Objectives The objectives of this study were to test (1) the sensitivity of ecosystem service model outputs to the spatial resolution of input data, and (2) whether any resultant scale dependency is constant across different ecosystem services and model approaches (e.g. stock- versus flow-based). Methods Carbon storage, sediment erosion, and pollination were modelled with the InVEST framework using input data representative of common coarse (25 m) and fine (5 m) spatial resolutions. Results Fine scale analysis generated higher estimates of total carbon storage (9.32 vs. 7.17 kg m−2) and much lower potential sediment erosion estimates (6.4 vs. 18.1 Mg km−2 year−1) than analyses conducted at coarser resolutions; however coarse-scale analysis estimated more abundant pollination service provision. Conclusions Scale sensitivities depend on the type of service being modelled; stock estimates (e.g. carbon storage) are most sensitive to aggregation across scales, dynamic flow models (e.g. sediment erosion) are most sensitive to spatial resolution, and ecological process models involving both stocks and dynamics (e.g. pollination) are sensitive to both. Care must be taken to select model data appropriate to the scale of inquiry

Urban and rural habitats differ in number and type of bird feeders and in bird species consuming supplementary food

Bird feeding is one of the most widespread direct interactions between man and nature, and this has important social and environmental consequences. However, this activity can differ between rural and urban habitats, due to inter alia habitat structure, human behaviour and the composition of wintering bird communities. We counted birds in 156 squares (0.25 km(2) each) in December 2012 and again in January 2013 in locations in and around 26 towns and cities across Poland (in each urban area, we surveyed 3 squares and also 3 squares in nearby rural areas). At each count, we noted the number of bird feeders, the number of bird feeders with food, the type of feeders, additional food supplies potentially available for birds (bread offered by people, bins) and finally the birds themselves. In winter, urban and rural areas differ in the availability of food offered intentionally and unintentionally to birds by humans. Both types of food availability are higher in urban areas. Our findings suggest that different types of bird feeder support only those species specialized for that particular food type and this relationship is similar in urban and rural areas. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11356-015-4723-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users