Game species monitoring using road-based distance sampling in association with thermal imagers: a covariate analysis

Monitorización de especies cinegéticas utilizando el muestreo a distancia con base en una carretera, en combinación con imágenes termográficas: un análisis de covariables La monitorización de las poblaciones de especies cinegéticas es necesaria para evaluar adecuadamente las capturas de los cazadores, en zonas que carecen de los grandes depredadores naturales. Sin embargo, los gestores de la caza deben controlar diversas especies y a menudo carecen de un método de control con un diseño conveniente. Por lo tanto, la monitorización de diversas especies al mismo tiempo en áreas muy grandes podría ser eficaz desde el punto de vista de los costes y del tiempo. Estudiamos la influencia de diversos factores durante la monitorización de tres especies cinegéticas comunes (el jabalí, el corzo y el zorro rojo) utilizando un muestreo a distancia desde la carretera, en asociación con imágenes termográficas. Este examen piloto basado en 20 recuentos nocturnos en cinco lugares contrastantes estudió el efecto de diversas covariables (especie, termografía, observador, tamaño del grupo y tipo de hábitat) sobre las probabilidades de detección (dp). No se hallaron diferencias entre las imágenes termográficas (dpJENOPTIK: 0,186, dpFLIR: 0,193) y el tamaño de los grupos (dp1ind.: 0,243, dp2ind.: 0,259, dp> 2ind.: 0,223), pero sí entre los observadores (dpobs1: 0,207, dpobs2: 0,274, dpobs3: 0,159). También se observaron diferencias esperadas entre las especies (dpwild boar: 0,22, dproe deer: 0,35, dpred fox: 0,32) y entre los tipos de hábitat (dpforest: 0,27, dpedge: 0,74, dpopen: 0,35). Nuestros resultados demuestran que la detectabilidad de los equipos de termografía de bajo coste es similar a la de otros métodos caros, destacando nuevas posibilidades del uso de la termografía para los gestores de la caza. Aunque deberían realizarse ajustes en el diseño del estudio, nuestros hallazgos sugieren que la monitorización de múltiples especies a gran escala podría ser un método eficaz para las especies cinegéticas comunes.Monitorización de especies cinegéticas utilizando el muestreo a distancia con base en una carretera, en combinación con imágenes termográficas: un análisis de covariables La monitorización de las poblaciones de especies cinegéticas es necesaria para evaluar adecuadamente las capturas de los cazadores, en zonas que carecen de los grandes depredadores naturales. Sin embargo, los gestores de la caza deben controlar diversas especies y a menudo carecen de un método de control con un diseño conveniente. Por lo tanto, la monitorización de diversas especies al mismo tiempo en áreas muy grandes podría ser eficaz desde el punto de vista de los costes y del tiempo. Estudiamos la influencia de diversos factores durante la monitorización de tres especies cinegéticas comunes (el jabalí, el corzo y el zorro rojo) utilizando un muestreo a distancia desde la carretera, en asociación con imágenes termográficas. Este examen piloto basado en 20 recuentos nocturnos en cinco lugares contrastantes estudió el efecto de diversas covariables (especie, termografía, observador, tamaño del grupo y tipo de hábitat) sobre las probabilidades de detección (dp). No se hallaron diferencias entre las imágenes termográficas (dpJENOPTIK: 0,186, dpFLIR: 0,193) y el tamaño de los grupos (dp1ind.: 0,243, dp2ind.: 0,259, dp> 2ind.: 0,223), pero sí entre los observadores (dpobs1: 0,207, dpobs2: 0,274, dpobs3: 0,159). También se observaron diferencias esperadas entre las especies (dpwild boar: 0,22, dproe deer: 0,35, dpred fox: 0,32) y entre los tipos de hábitat (dpforest: 0,27, dpedge: 0,74, dpopen: 0,35). Nuestros resultados demuestran que la detectabilidad de los equipos de termografía de bajo coste es similar a la de otros métodos caros, destacando nuevas posibilidades del uso de la termografía para los gestores de la caza. Aunque deberían realizarse ajustes en el diseño del estudio, nuestros hallazgos sugieren que la monitorización de múltiples especies a gran escala podría ser un método eficaz para las especies cinegéticas comunes.Monitoring of game species populations is necessary to adequately assess culling by hunters in areas where natural large predators are absent. However, game managers have to control several species and they often lack of an efficient and convenient survey design method. Monitoring several species at that same time over large areas could thus be cost– and time–effective. We tested the influence of several factors during monitoring of three common game species, (wild boar, roe deer and red fox, using road–based distance sampling in association with thermal imagers. This pilot survey based on 20 night counts in five contrasting sites studied the effect of several covariates (species, thermal imaging, observer, group size, and habitat type) on the detection probabilities (= dp). No differences were observed between thermal imagers (dpJENOPTIK: 0.186, dpFLIR: 0.193) and group sizes (dp1ind.: 0.243, dp2ind.: 0.259, dp> 2ind.: 0.223), but we found differences between observers (dpobs1: 0.207, dpobs2: 0.274, dpobs3: 0.159). Expected differences were also observed between species (dpwild boar: 0.22, dproe deer: 0.35, dpred fox: 0.32) and between habitat type (dpforest: 0.27, dpedge: 0.74, dpopen: 0.35). Our results show that the detectability of low cost thermal imaging equipment is similar to that of more expensive methods, highlighting new possibilities for the use of thermal imagery by game managers. Although adjustments should be made to the study design our findings suggest that large–scale multi–species monitoring could be an efficient method for common game species

Critical temperature oscillations in magnetically coupled superconducting mesoscopic loops

We study the magnetic interaction between two superconducting concentric mesoscopic Al loops, close to the superconducting/normal phase transition. The phase boundary is measured resistively for the two-loop structure as well as for a reference single loop. In both systems Little-Parks oscillations, periodic in field are observed in the critical temperature Tc versus applied magnetic field H. In the Fourier spectrum of the Tc(H) oscillations, a weak 'low frequency' response shows up, which can be attributed to the inner loop supercurrent magnetic coupling to the flux of the outer loop. The amplitude of this effect can be tuned by varying the applied transport current.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

OA011-03. Clusterin, a natural ligand of DC-SIGN present in human semen inhibits HIV capture and transmission by dendritic cells

International audiencen.

Spin states of asteroids in the Eos collisional family

Eos family was created during a catastrophic impact about 1.3 Gyr ago. Rotation states of individual family members contain information about the history of the whole population. We aim to increase the number of asteroid shape models and rotation states within the Eos collision family, as well as to revise previously published shape models from the literature. Such results can be used to constrain theoretical collisional and evolution models of the family, or to estimate other physical parameters by a thermophysical modeling of the thermal infrared data. We use all available disk-integrated optical data (i.e., classical dense-in-time photometry obtained from public databases and through a large collaboration network as well as sparse-in-time individual measurements from a few sky surveys) as input for the convex inversion method, and derive 3D shape models of asteroids together with their rotation periods and orientations of rotation axes. We present updated shape models for 15 asteroids and new shape model determinations for 16 asteroids. Together with the already published models from the publicly available DAMIT database, we compiled a sample of 56 Eos family members with known shape models that we used in our analysis of physical properties within the family. Rotation states of asteroids smaller than ~20 km are heavily influenced by the YORP effect, whilst the large objects more or less retained their rotation state properties since the family creation. Moreover, we also present a shape model and bulk density of asteroid (423) Diotima, an interloper in the Eos family, based on the disk-resolved data obtained by the Near InfraRed Camera (Nirc2) mounted on the W.M. Keck II telescope.Comment: Accepted for publication in ICARUS Special Issue - Asteroids: Origin, Evolution & Characterizatio

The non-convex shape of (234) Barbara, the first Barbarian

Asteroid (234) Barbara is the prototype of a category of asteroids that has been shown to be extremely rich in refractory inclusions, the oldest material ever found in the Solar System. It exhibits several peculiar features, most notably its polarimetric behavior. In recent years other objects sharing the same property (collectively known as "Barbarians") have been discovered. Interferometric observations in the mid-infrared with the ESO VLTI suggested that (234) Barbara might have a bi-lobated shape or even a large companion satellite. We use a large set of 57 optical lightcurves acquired between 1979 and 2014, together with the timings of two stellar occultations in 2009, to determine the rotation period, spin-vector coordinates, and 3-D shape of (234) Barbara, using two different shape reconstruction algorithms. By using the lightcurves combined to the results obtained from stellar occultations, we are able to show that the shape of (234) Barbara exhibits large concave areas. Possible links of the shape to the polarimetric properties and the object evolution are discussed. We also show that VLTI data can be modeled without the presence of a satellite.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figure

Little-Parks effect and multiquanta vortices in a hybrid superconductor--ferromagnet system

Within the phenomenological Ginzburg-Landau theory we investigate the phase diagram of a thin superconducting film with ferromagnetic nanoparticles. We study the oscillatory dependence of the critical temperature on an external magnetic field similar to the Little-Parks effect and formation of multiquantum vortex structures. The structure of a superconducting state is studied both analytically and numerically.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure. Submitted to J. Phys.: Condens. Mat

The small binary asteroid (939) Isberga

In understanding the composition and internal structure of asteroids, their density is perhaps the most diagnostic quantity. We aim here to characterize the surface composition, mutual orbit, size, mass, and density of the small main-belt binary asteroid (939) Isberga. For that, we conduct a suite of multi-technique observations, including optical lightcurves over many epochs, near-infrared spectroscopy, and interferometry in the thermal infrared. We develop a simple geometric model of binary systems to analyze the interferometric data in combination with the results of the lightcurve modeling. From spectroscopy, we classify Ibserga as a Sq-type asteroid, consistent with the albedo of 0.14$^{+0.09}_{-0.06}$ (all uncertainties are reported as 3-$\sigma$ range) we determine (average albedo of S-types is 0.197 $\pm$ 0.153, Pravec et al., 2012, Icarus 221, 365-387). Lightcurve analysis reveals that the mutual orbit has a period of 26.6304 $\pm$ 0.0001 h, is close to circular, and has pole coordinates within 7 deg. of (225, +86) in ECJ2000, implying a low obliquity of 1.5 deg. The combined analysis of lightcurves and interferometric data allows us to determine the dimension of the system and we find volume-equivalent diameters of 12.4$^{+2.5}_{-1.2}$ km and 3.6$^{+0.7}_{-0.3}$ km for Isberga and its satellite, circling each other on a 33 km wide orbit. Their density is assumed equal and found to be $2.91^{+1.72}_{-2.01}$ g.cm$^{-3}$, lower than that of the associated ordinary chondrite meteorites, suggesting the presence of some macroporosity, but typical of S-types of the same size range (Carry, 2012, P\&SS 73, 98-118). The present study is the first direct measurement of the size of a small main-belt binary. Although the interferometric observations of Isberga are at the edge of MIDI capabilities, the method described here is applicable to others suites of instruments (e.g, LBT, ALMA).Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, 4 table