Monk Parakeets

Since their introduction to the United States in the 1960s, monk parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus) have thrived (Figure 1). Until recently, annual Christmas Bird Count data have shown the population to be increasing exponentially. In the U.S., monk parakeets are an urban and suburban species with few natural predators, diseases or other factors limiting their population growth. They exploit backyard bird feeders and non-native ornamental plants for food. Monk parakeets often construct nests on man-made structures, such as electric utility facilities and cell phone towers. Because the birds build and maintain nests throughout the year, management of parakeet populations has become an important issue for utility companies in several States. Currently, nest removal and trapping are the primary methods for managing parakeet damage, Reproductive control through contraception shows promise for long-term, nonlethal population management

Tectonic: a networked, generative and interactive, conducting environment for iPad

This paper describes the concept, implementation and context of Tectonic: Rodinia for four realtime composer-conductoors and ensemble. In this work, an addition to the reqertoire of the Decibel Scoreplayer, iPads art networked together using the bonjour protocol to manage connectivity over the network. Unlike previous Scoreplayer works, Rodinia combines conductor view control interfaces, performer view notation interfaces and an audience view overview interface, separately identified by manual connection and yet mutually interactive. Notation is communicated to an ensemble via scores independently generated in realtime in each performer view and amalgamated schematically in the :audience view interface. Interaction in the work is enacted through a collision avoidant algorithm that modifies the choices of each conductor by deflecting the streams of notation according to evaluation of the Mass and proximity to other streams, reflecting the concept of shifting Tectonic plates that crush and reform each other\u27s placement

Evaluation of Trapping to Reduce Monk Parakeet Populations at Electric Utility Facilities

Through accidental and intentional introductions, the monk parakeet, native to South America, is now established in several parts of the United States. In Florida, it occurs in 21 of 67 counties. Monk parakeets build a bulky nest structure of sticks, and they often build on electric utility substations and support structures for distribution and transmission lines. This nesting activity is incompatible with reliable electric service because nest material creates short circuits that cause power outages. Nest removal by electric utility personnel is ongoing but provides only short-term relief, as buds readily rebuild their nests. In h s study, we evaluated passive and active methods to trap monk parakeets, and we documented the effectiveness of trapping to reduce rates of nest rebuilding on distribution poles. At electric substations, we tested two passive trap designs: a drop-in style trap, and a walk-in style trap. Monk parakeets were wary of traps, however, and were not easily captured even with extensive pre-baiting and the use of decoy birds. At distribution poles, we actively trapped birds at 47 nest sites using specially designed nets placed over nest entrances at night while birds roosted. Birds were then caught as they flew out of the nests into the net. Capture success at individual nest sites ranged from 0 to 100% with an overall average of 51%. Of the 47 sites where birds were trapped at night, 43 nests were removed immediately or shortly after netting. Subsequent monitoring revealed that higher nest site capture rates resulted in slower rates of nest rebuilding. We conclude that while more research is needed to design an effective passive trapping system, monk parakeets can be readily trapped from distribution pole nests at night thereby enhancing nest removal efforts

A discrete invitation to quantum filtering and feedback control

The engineering and control of devices at the quantum-mechanical level--such as those consisting of small numbers of atoms and photons--is a delicate business. The fundamental uncertainty that is inherently present at this scale manifests itself in the unavoidable presence of noise, making this a novel field of application for stochastic estimation and control theory. In this expository paper we demonstrate estimation and feedback control of quantum mechanical systems in what is essentially a noncommutative version of the binomial model that is popular in mathematical finance. The model is extremely rich and allows a full development of the theory, while remaining completely within the setting of finite-dimensional Hilbert spaces (thus avoiding the technical complications of the continuous theory). We introduce discretized models of an atom in interaction with the electromagnetic field, obtain filtering equations for photon counting and homodyne detection, and solve a stochastic control problem using dynamic programming and Lyapunov function methods.Comment: 76 pages, 12 figures. A PDF file with high resolution figures can be found at http://minty.caltech.edu/papers.ph

Type and Timing of Rehabilitation Following Acute and Subacute Spinal Cord Injury: A Systematic Review

Objectives: The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the literature to address the following clinical questions: In adult patients with acute and subacute complete or incomplete traumatic SCI, (1) does the time interval between injury and commencing rehabilitation affect outcome?; (2) what is the comparative effectiveness of different rehabilitation strategies, including different intensities and durations of treatment?; (3) are there patient or injury characteristics that affect the efficacy of rehabilitation?; and (4) what is the cost-effectiveness of various rehabilitation strategies? Methods: A systematic search was conducted for literature published through March 31, 2015 that evaluated rehabilitation strategies in adults with acute or subacute traumatic SCI at any level. Studies were critically appraised individually and the overall strength of evidence was evaluated using methods proposed by the GRADE (Grades of Recommendation Assessment, Development and Evaluation) working group. Results: The search strategy yielded 384 articles, 19 of which met our inclusion criteria. Based on our results, there was no difference between body weight–supported treadmill training and conventional rehabilitation with respect to improvements in Functional Independence Measure (FIM) Locomotor score, Lower Extremity Motor Scores, the distance walked in 6 minutes or gait velocity over 15.2 m. Functional electrical therapy resulted in slightly better FIM Motor, FIM Self-Care, and Spinal Cord Independence Measure Self-Care subscores compared with conventional occupational therapy. Comparisons using the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute Hand Function Test demonstrated no differences between groups in 7 of 9 domains. There were no clinically important differences in Maximal Lean Test, Maximal Sidewards Reach Test, T-shirt Test, or the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure between unsupported sitting training and standard in-patient rehabilitation. Conclusion: The current evidence base for rehabilitation following acute and subacute spinal cord injury is limited. Methodological challenges have contributed to this and further research is still needed. © 2017, © The Author(s) 2017

Feasibility of Functional Neuroimaging to Understand Adolescent Women’s Sexual Decision Making

Purpose For young women, new sexual experiences normatively increase after puberty and coincide with extensive changes to brain regions governing self-regulation of risk behavior. These neurodevelopmental changes could leave some young women vulnerable for negative sexual outcomes, including sexually transmitted infection and unintended pregnancy. We evaluated the feasibility of using functional neuroimaging to understand the sexual decision making of adolescent women. Methods Adolescent women (N = 14; 14–15 years) completed enrollment interviews, a neuroimaging task gauging neural activation to appetitive stimuli, and 30 days of prospective diaries following the scan characterizing daily affect and sexual behaviors. Descriptive and inferential statistics assessed the association between imaging and behavioral data. Results Young women were highly compliant with neuroimaging and diary protocol. Neural activity in a cognitive-affective network, including prefrontal and anterior cingulate regions, was significantly greater during low-risk decisions. Compared with other decisions, high-risk sexual decisions elicited greater activity in the anterior cingulate, and low-risk sexual decision elicited greater activity in regions of the visual cortex. Young women's sexual decision ratings were linked to their sexual history characteristics and daily self-reports of sexual emotions and behaviors. Conclusions It is feasible to recruit and retain a cohort of female participants to perform a functional magnetic resonance imaging task focused on making decisions about sex, on the basis of varying levels of hypothetical sexual risk, and to complete longitudinal prospective diaries following this task. Preliminary evidence suggests that risk level differentially impacts brain activity related to sexual decision making in these women, which may be related to past and future sexual behaviors

Exploring Phytoplankton Population Growth to Enhance Quantitative Literacy: Putting Vision & Change into Action

Quantitative literacy is essential to biological literacy (and is one of the core concepts in Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education: A Call to Action; AAAS 2009). Building quantitative literacy is a challenging endeavor for biology instructors. Integrating mathematical skills into biological investigations can help build quantitative literacy. In our plankton population laboratory sequence, students test hypotheses about the influence of abiotic factors on phytoplankton populations by sampling experimental and control flasks over multiple weeks. Students track and predict changes in planktonic populations by incorporating weekly sample estimates into population growth equations. We have refined the laboratory protocols on the basis of student commentary and instructor observations. Students have reviewed the lab positively, and approximately one-quarter of them reported building their math skills by participating in the lab