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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Production Of Alfalfa Seed In Italy, Alessandra Sommovigo, Domenica Iraci Capuccinello, Marta Giannini Dec 2019

Production Of Alfalfa Seed In Italy, Alessandra Sommovigo, Domenica Iraci Capuccinello, Marta Giannini

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is considered the largest cultivated forage species in the temperate areas in the world and in Italy covers about 700,000 ha. This species is important for the ability to produce a good quality forage with low input. Alfalfa seed production is spread throughout Italy, France and Spain (Fig. 1). In Italy, about 47% of forage area is planted with alfalfa and the Italian regions where alfalfa seed is mainly produced are Emilia Romagna, Marche and Tuscany (Fig. 2). In 2012 the area for the production of alfalfa seed was 20,906 ha with a seed production …


Dynamics And Control In Spiking Neural Networks, Fuqiang Huang Dec 2019

Dynamics And Control In Spiking Neural Networks, Fuqiang Huang

McKelvey School of Engineering Theses & Dissertations

In the brain, neurons (brain cells) produce electrical impulses, or spikes, that are thought to be the substrate of information processing and computation. Through enigmatic processes, these spikes are ultimately decoded into perceptions and actions. The nature of this encoding and decoding is one of the most pervasive questions in theoretical neuroscience. In other words, what are the specific functions enacted by neural circuits, through their biophysics and dynamics? This thesis examines the dynamics of neural networks from the perspective of control theory and engineering. The pivotal concept is that of the normative synthesis of neural circuits, wherein neural dynamics …


Contact Rates With Nesting Birds Before And After Invasive Snake Removal: Estimating The Effects Of Trap-Based Control, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Melia G. Nafus, Page E. Klug, Björn Lardner, M.J. Mazurek, Julie A. Savidge, Robert N. Reed Jul 2019

Contact Rates With Nesting Birds Before And After Invasive Snake Removal: Estimating The Effects Of Trap-Based Control, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Melia G. Nafus, Page E. Klug, Björn Lardner, M.J. Mazurek, Julie A. Savidge, Robert N. Reed

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Invasive predators are responsible for almost 60% of all vertebrate extinctions worldwide with the most vulnerable faunas occurring on islands. The brown treesnake (Boiga irregularis) is a notorious invasive predator that caused the extirpation or extinction of most native forest birds on Guam. The success of avian reintroduction efforts on Guam will depend on whether snake-control techniques sufficiently reduce contact rates between brown treesnakes and reintroduced birds. Mouse-lure traps can successfully reduce brown treesnake populations at local scales. Over a 22-week period both with and without active snake removal, we evaluated snake-trap contact rates for mouse- and bird-lure traps. Bird-lure …


American White Pelicans, Tommy King May 2019

American White Pelicans, Tommy King

Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series

American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, Figure 1) threaten aquaculture producers by direct predation and the spread of disease. They are also considered competition and a nuisance by some sports fishermen. Pelicans can also damage pond levees and crops, such as rice, by trampling the vegetation and depositing guano. A combination of wildlife damage management techniques is often necessary to reduce pelican damage to these resources. Aquaculture Prior to the winter of 1992, American white pelican depredations at catfish facilities in the Delta regions of Arkansas and Mississippi were limited, and birds were easily dispersed from the area. Since 1992, however, …


Changes In Muscle Control And Coordination In Novel Task Learning, Sangsoo Park Mar 2019

Changes In Muscle Control And Coordination In Novel Task Learning, Sangsoo Park

Doctoral Dissertations

Learning many daily life motor skills is critical for survival and the quality of living in humans. As children, we develop walking and running patterns to move the body from point A to B without falling, and we learn to grasp a wide variety of objects during activities of daily living. Motor skills can be properly performed by appropriate muscle activations which are controlled by the central nervous system. How does the central nervous system develop and fine-tune its control strategy to learn a new motor skill? The aim of this dissertation was to better understand how human participants alter …


Cost–Benefit Analysis Of Coyote Removal As A Management Option In Texas Cattle Ranching, R. Kyle Brewster, Scott E. Henke, Benjamin L. Turner, John M. Tomeček, Alfonso Ortega-S. Jan 2019

Cost–Benefit Analysis Of Coyote Removal As A Management Option In Texas Cattle Ranching, R. Kyle Brewster, Scott E. Henke, Benjamin L. Turner, John M. Tomeček, Alfonso Ortega-S.

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The monetary value of livestock losses attributed to coyote (Canis latrans) predation in North America has increased during the past 20 years. In Texas, USA alone in 2011, these loses were estimated at $6.9 million. To mitigate coyote-related livestock losses, several lethal and nonlethal control methods have been developed. However, there remains a need for better information to guide management decisions regarding cost-effective predator control strategies for livestock production systems. We acquired data, which was used in the model, from published literature from 1960 to present day, subject matter experts, and anecdotal information on coyote ecology. We developed …


Population Dynamics And Control Of Exotic South African Oryx In The Chihuahuan Desert, South-Central New Mexico, Louis Bender, Patrick Morrow, Mara Weisenberger, Bryce Krueger Jan 2019

Population Dynamics And Control Of Exotic South African Oryx In The Chihuahuan Desert, South-Central New Mexico, Louis Bender, Patrick Morrow, Mara Weisenberger, Bryce Krueger

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Introductions of exotic species can benefit certain publics but can also have many unanticipated consequences. South African oryx (Oryx gazella gazella) were introduced into the Chihuahuan Desert on White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), New Mexico, USA to alleviate a perceived lack of large mammal hunting opportunities. Because of conflicts with oryx as the population increased, we modeled population growth and determined survival of radio-collared oryx to identify rates of population increase, limiting factors to population growth, and levels of harvest necessary to control population growth. Following introductions in 1969–1977, oryx significantly increased their range and showed a rate …


Accounting For Heterogeneous Invasion Rates Reveals Management Impacts On The Spatial Expansion Of An Invasive Species, Kim M. Pepin, David W. Wolfson, Ryan S. Miller, Michael A. Tabak, Nathan P. Snow, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Amy J. Davis Jan 2019

Accounting For Heterogeneous Invasion Rates Reveals Management Impacts On The Spatial Expansion Of An Invasive Species, Kim M. Pepin, David W. Wolfson, Ryan S. Miller, Michael A. Tabak, Nathan P. Snow, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Amy J. Davis

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Success of large-scale control programs for established invasive species is challenging to evaluate because of spatial variability in expansion rates, management techniques, and the strength of management intensity. For a well-established invasive species in the spreading phase of invasion, a useful metric of impact is the magnitude by which control slows the rate of spatial spread. The prevention of spatial spreading likely results in substantial benefits in terms of ecosystem or economic damage that is prevented by an expanding invasive species. To understand how local management actions could impact the spatial spread of an established invasive species, we analyzed distribution …