Local Dynamics Research Articles

Availability of alternative prey rather than intraguild interactions determines the local abundance of two understudied and threatened small carnivore species

Intraguild interactions influence the structure and local dynamics of carnivore mammals’ assemblages. The potential effects of these interactions are often determined by the body size of competing members and may result in negative relationships in their abundance and, ultimately, lead to species exclusion or coexistence. The relative importance of interspecific interactions along with landscape characteristics in determining population patterns of understudied and threatened sympatric small carnivores, such as skunks, remains poorly documented. Therefore, we assessed the spatiotemporal variation in the abundance of American hog-nosed skunks Conepatus leuconotus and pygmy spotted skunks Spilogale pygmaea and the effect of interspecific interactions, resource availability, and habitat complexity on their local abundance in areas with the deciduous tropical forest south of the Mexican Pacific slope. We used presence-absence data for skunk species from three camera-trapping surveys between 2018 and 2020 in combination with Royle-Nichols occupancy models fitted in a Bayesian framework to estimate abundance, incorporating the effects of covariates related to the factors evaluated. We analyzed the relationship between the abundances of skunks using Bayesian Generalized Linear Models. Both skunk species showed significant differences in their abundances between seasons and between study sites. Overall, pygmy skunks were more abundant than hog-nosed skunks. We found negative relationships among the relative abundances of skunks during the dry seasons, but no evidence that local abundance is governed by the competitive dominance of the larger species. Patterns of skunk abundance were better explained by prey availability and other predictors related to habitat complexity, rather than interspecific interactions, since these models showed the highest predictive accuracies and strong positive and negative relationships. Our study highlights the underlying factors that determine the local abundance of these understudied and threatened small carnivores, allowing us to better understand the mechanisms that govern their coexistence for effective management and conservation of species in seasonal environments.

Review of Affirmative Action Policy in West Java DPRD: challenges and Solutions of Political Parties in Achieving Women's Representation

This study tries to analyze the performance of affirmative action policies for female participation in the Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) of West Java Province, focused on three principal political parties: PDIP, Golkar, and PKS. Notwithstanding the implementation of a 30% female quota, women's representation in parliament has yet to attain an ideal percentage. This study applies a qualitative methodology utilizing explanatory and descriptive approaches, concentrating on the strategies utilized by each party to recruit and assist female parliamentary candidates. The results indicate that although PDIP, Golkar, and PKS are dedicated to affirmative action programs, their execution is shaped by varying ideological perspectives and socioeconomic circumstances. PDIP employs an inclusive strategy to enhance female representation but encounters challenges posed by conservative local cultures. Golkar prioritizes electoral efficacy by selecting pragmatic candidates, focusing on women with robust political networks, while PKS adheres to religious principles that constrain women's political participation. The findings indicate that affirmative action programs must be tailored to local dynamics and party beliefs to effectively enhance meaningful female representation in parliament. The study indicates that while affirmative action fosters female representation, its effectiveness relies on the adaptive strategies of each party in tackling local obstacles.

Union Makes Us Strong: Space, Technology, and On-Demand Ridesourcing Digital Labour Platforms

The entry of on-demand ridesourcing digital labour platforms (OR-DLPs) in Kolkata, India, restructured the local taxi-cab service industry's economic geography and spatial practices. Notably, they eroded the significance of the spatial fixity of taxi stands operated by traditional trade unions, enmeshed in local society's partisan political dynamics. Therefore, OR-DLPs triggered a reconfiguration of the socio-spatial and political practices around the taxi-cab industry in the city. Globally, traditional trade unions have struggled to organise workers in informal work arrangements and DLPs. However, in Kolkata, the Kolkata Ola-Uber App-Cab Operator and Drivers Union has proved to be successful. They established hybrid and networked unionism through technological affordances, placing worker-organisers rather than external organisers at the centre of their organisational structure. Furthermore, they undertook tech-mediated resistance against the OR-DLPs, local bureaucracy (e.g. the police) and the state. We explore this context to examine the impact of OR-DLPs on labour geography, worker-organising and resistance practices, along with the revitalisation strategies of traditional trade unions in response. From a non-Western context, we expand the frame for CSCW and HCI scholars' ongoing efforts to design worker-centric technologies for resistance.

Spatio-temporal localization of P21-activated kinase in endometrial cancer.

Endometrial cancer is the sixth most common gynecologic cancer, and has been reported as a malignancy arising due to the idiopathic effects of certain anticancer agents. Tamoxifen is the drug of choice in ER-positive breast cancer, and several studies have shown better disease-free survival in these patients. However, the long-term usage of tamoxifen has been associated with resistance and risk for endometrial malignancy. A direct mechanistic basis for tamoxifen-induced endometrial tumorigenesis is still unclear. Hyperactivation of PAK1 in endometrial cancer correlates with poor overall survival. The present study demonstrates that tamoxifen treatment induces nuclear localization of PAK1 in endometrial carcinoma cells. This nuclear transit is mediated through JAK2 phosphorylation of PAK1 and binding of β-PIX. In addition, a computational approach involving molecular modeling and simulation of phosphorylated and unphosphorylated forms of PAK1 was used to elucidate the dynamics of nuclear localization. Thus, PAK1 phosphorylation by JAK2 is a prerequisite for its nuclear localization and its tumorigenic effects on endometrial cancer cells.

Mitigating an Epidemic on a Geographic Network Using Vaccination

We consider a mathematical model describing the propagation of an epidemic on a geographical network. The size of the outbreak is governed by the initial growth rate of the disease given by the maximal eigenvalue of the epidemic matrix formed by the susceptibles and the graph Laplacian representing the mobility. We use matrix perturbation theory to analyze the epidemic matrix and define a vaccination strategy, assuming vaccination reduces the susceptibles. When mobility and the local disease dynamics have similar time scales, it is most efficient to vaccinate the whole network because the disease grows uniformly. However, if only a few vertices can be vaccinated, then we show that it is most efficient to vaccinate along an eigenvector corresponding to the largest eigenvalue of the Laplacian. We illustrate these results by calculations on a seven-vertex graph and a realistic example of the French rail network. When mobility is slower than the local disease dynamics, the epidemic grows on the vertex with largest number of susceptibles. The epidemic growth rate is more reduced when vaccinating a larger degree vertex; it also depends on the neighboring vertices. This study and its conclusions provide guidelines for the planning of a vaccination campaign on a network at the onset of an epidemic.

Real Estate Inflation and Housing Finance in India : Mapping the Correlation between Raising Property Prices & Increasing Home Loans among Indian Cities

Focusing specifically on India — a country that has recently faced recessions partially due to housing bubbles, like many other nations around the world — this research explores in depth how development of real estate linked financing sector have fuelled mortgage led asset price inflation across different cities (both metros & Tier II/III) over decades. Drawing upon a variety of market statistics, policy and economic indicators, the research identifies strong relationships between housing loan availability — by way of loosening mortgage regulations — and property price growth. The study shows that metropolitan cities have witnessed growth in housing loans at a CAGR of 10-12% over last decade (2010–2020) resulting into similar annual price appreciation for real estate standing between 010-15%. Tier II and III cities alternatively, exhibited slower but more stable growth trends in property prices of 6-8% driven by government push & infrastructure developments. The research emphasizes how this relationship has been altered by a number of variables, including as urbanization, demographic changes, government housing programs, and regulatory reforms like RERA and GST. The results imply that although housing financing has played a significant part in promoting the expansion of the real estate market, the influence varies greatly depending on local market dynamics, infrastructural development, and the state of the local economy.

LiDAR-Based Modeling of Individual Tree Height to Crown Base in Picea crassifolia Kom. in Northern China: Comparing Bayesian, Gaussian Process, and Random Forest Approaches

This study compared hierarchical Bayesian, mixed-effects Gaussian process regression, and random forest models for predicting height to crown base (HCB) in Qinghai spruce (Picea crassifolia Kom.) forests using LiDAR-derived data. Both modeling approaches were applied to a dataset of 510 trees from 16 plots in northern China. The models incorporated tree-level variables (height, diameter at breast height, crown projection area) and plot-level spatial competition indices. Model performance was evaluated using leave-one-plot-out cross-validation. The Gaussian mixed-effects process model (with an RMSE of 1.59 and MAE of 1.25) slightly outperformed the hierarchical Bayesian model and the random forest model. Both models identified LiDAR-derived tree height, DBH, and LiDAR-derived crown projection area as primary factors influencing HCB. The spatial competition index (SCI) emerged as the most effective random effect, with the lowest AIC and BIC values, highlighting the importance of local competition dynamics in HCB formation. Uncertainty analysis revealed consistent patterns across the predicted values, with an average relative uncertainty of 33.89% for the Gaussian process model. These findings provide valuable insights for forest management and suggest that incorporating spatial competition indices can enhance HCB predictions.

"We Don't Need Any More Martyrs": Anti-War Protests at the University of Iowa 1970

This thesis argues that the May 1970 anti-Vietnam War protests at the University of Iowa were nonviolent compared to similar demonstrations at other colleges. This was due to the actions of University President Willard “Sandy” Boyd, who was able to strike a delicate balance between maintaining civil order and protecting the right to protest. Students protested the joint U.S.-South Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia and the killings of students at Kent State University during a time of intense political upheaval. American politicians and citizens debated how to handle the war in Vietnam best and what course of action to take when coping with anti-war demonstrations. This thesis examines the protests at the University of Iowa to understand better the local political dynamics and how local leaders coped with a dynamic political environment. This thesis uses sources from the University of Iowa archives, the Iowa State Historical Society, and the Daily Iowan archives. While many college and government officials chose to adopt repressive stances towards the protests that occurred nationally, the Iowa protests were de-escalated without any deaths. This resolution gives current elected officials a model of how to maintain civil order without violating the rights of American citizens.

Cspg4 sculpts oligodendrocyte precursor cell morphology

The extracellular matrix (ECM) provides critical biochemical and structural cues that regulate neural development. Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs), a major ECM component, have been implicated in modulating oligodendrocyte precursor cell (OPC) proliferation, migration, and maturation, but their specific roles in oligodendrocyte lineage cell (OLC) development and myelination in vivo remain poorly understood. Here, we use zebrafish as a model system to investigate the spatiotemporal dynamics of ECM deposition and CSPG localization during central nervous system (CNS) development, with a focus on their relationship to OLCs. We demonstrate that ECM components, including CSPGs, are dynamically expressed in distinct spatiotemporal patterns coinciding with OLC development and myelination. We found that zebrafish lacking cspg4 function produced normal numbers of OLCs, which appeared to undergo proper differentiation. However, OPC morphology in mutant larvae was aberrant. Nevertheless, the number and length of myelin sheaths produced by mature oligodendrocytes were unaffected. These data indicate that Cspg4 regulates OPC morphogenesis in vivo, supporting the role of the ECM in neural development.

Interactions of localized wave and dynamics analysis in the new generalized stochastic fractional potential-KdV equation.

In this paper, we investigate the new generalized stochastic fractional potential-Korteweg-de Vries equation, which describes nonlinear optical solitons and photon propagation in circuits and multicomponent plasmas. Inspired by Kolmogorov-Arnold network and our earlier work, we enhance the improved bilinear neural network method by using a large number of activation functions instead of neurons. This method incorporates the concept of simulating more complicated activation functions with fewer parameters, with more diverse activation functions to generate more complex and rare analytical solutions. On this basis, constraints are introduced into the method, reducing a significant amount of computational workload. We also construct neural network architectures, such as "2-3-1," "2-2-3-1," "2-3-3-1," and "2-3-2-1" using this method. Maple software is employed to obtain many exact analytical solutions by selecting appropriate parameters, such as the superposition of double-period lump solutions, lump-rogue wave solutions, and three interaction solutions. The results show that these solutions exhibit more complex waveforms than those obtained by conventional methods, which is of great significance for the electrical systems and multicomponent fluids to which the equation is applied. This novel method shows significant advantages when applied to fractional-order equations and is expected to be increasingly widely used in the study of nonlinear partial differential equations.

Sick without signs. Subclinical infections reduce local movements, alter habitat selection, and cause demographic shifts

In wildlife populations, parasites often go unnoticed, as infected animals appear asymptomatic. However, these infections can subtly alter behaviour. Field evidence of how these subclinical infections induce changes in movement behaviour is scarce in free-ranging animals, yet it may be crucial for zoonotic disease surveillance. We used an ultra-high-resolution tracking system (ATLAS) to monitor the movements of 60 free-ranging swallows every 8 seconds across four breeding seasons, resulting in over 1 million localizations. About 40% of these swallows were naturally infected with haemosporidian parasites. Here, we show that infected individuals had reduced foraging ranges, foraged in lower quality habitats, and faced a lowered survival probability, with an average reduction of 7.4%, albeit with some variation between species and years. This study highlights the impact of subclinical infections on movement behaviour and survival, emphasizing the importance of considering infection status in movement ecology. Our findings provide insights into individual variations in behaviour and previously unobservable local parasite transmission dynamics.

A DNA Aptamer for 2-Aminopurine: Binding-Induced Fluorescence Quenching.

2-Aminopurine (2AP) is a fluorescent analog of adenine, and its unique properties make it valuable in various biochemical and biotechnological applications. Its fluorescence property probes local dynamics in DNA and RNA because stacking with the surrounding bases quench its fluorescence. 2AP-labeled DNA or RNA sequences have been used for the detection of genetic mutations, viral RNA, or other nucleic acid-based markers associated with diseases like cancer and infectious diseases. In this study, we isolated aptamers for 2AP using the library immobilization capture-SELEX technique. A dominating aptamer family was isolated after 15 rounds of selection. The Kd values for the most abundant 2AP1 aptamer are 209 nM in a fluorescence assay and 72 nM in an isothermal titration calorimetry test. A 32 nM 2AP limit of detection was tested based on its intrinsic fluorescence change upon aptamer binding. Additionally, we conducted some mutation analysis. Furthermore, we tested the selectivity of this aptamer and discovered that it can bind adenine and adenosine with approximately 100-fold lower affinity than 2AP.

Obliged tolerance: Power at the intersection of everyday peace and the intervention economy

This article explores the economic relationships of host and refugee communities in the context of international humanitarian interventions and their implications for everyday peace. It argues for an expanded understanding of power in everyday peace, incorporating an analysis of the interplay between international interventions, local power dynamics and everyday peace. It responds to the call for increased attention to the economic dimensions of peacebuilding, particularly at the local level. The article introduces the concept of obliged tolerance to explain some of the socioeconomic motivations for different actors in the intervention economy to engage in everyday peace processes. Those benefitting from the international intervention actuate less empowered community members to practice tolerance for peaceful coexistence which sustains the economic benefits derived from the intervention economy. The findings from research conducted in Lebanon indicate that humanitarian interventions shape a peace that primarily benefits affluent and influential actors, while marginalised individuals engage in everyday peace for survival and to pursue socioeconomic opportunities. By integrating an analysis of everyday economic interactions, this article highlights the role of power dynamics and economic motivations based on obliged tolerance in shaping everyday peace, challenging conventional notions of everyday peace as a social coping mechanism that people practice entirely voluntarily.

Regional response to light illuminance across the human hypothalamus.

Light exerts multiple non-image-forming biological effects on physiology including the stimulation of alertness and cognition. However, the subcortical circuitry underlying the stimulating impact of light is not established in humans. We used 7 Tesla functional magnetic resonance imaging to assess the impact of variations in light illuminance on the regional activity of the hypothalamus while healthy young adults (N=26; 16 women; 24.3±2.9 y) were completing two auditory cognitive tasks. We find that, during both the executive and emotional tasks, higher illuminance triggered an activity increase over the posterior part of the hypothalamus, which includes part of the tuberomamillary nucleus and the posterior part of the lateral hypothalamus. In contrast, increasing illuminance evoked a decrease in activity over the anterior and ventral parts of the hypothalamus, encompassing notably the suprachiasmatic nucleus and another part of the tuberomammillary nucleus. Critically, the performance of the executive task was improved under higher illuminance and was negatively correlated with the activity of the posterior hypothalamus area. These findings reveal the distinct local dynamics of different hypothalamus regions that underlie the impact of light on cognition.

Regional response to light illuminance across the human hypothalamus

Light exerts multiple non-image-forming biological effects on physiology including the stimulation of alertness and cognition. However, the subcortical circuitry underlying the stimulating impact of light is not established in humans. We used 7 Tesla functional magnetic resonance imaging to assess the impact of variations in light illuminance on the regional activity of the hypothalamus while healthy young adults (N=26; 16 women; 24.3±2.9 y) were completing two auditory cognitive tasks. We find that, during both the executive and emotional tasks, higher illuminance triggered an activity increase over the posterior part of the hypothalamus, which includes part of the tuberomamillary nucleus and the posterior part of the lateral hypothalamus. In contrast, increasing illuminance evoked a decrease in activity over the anterior and ventral parts of the hypothalamus, encompassing notably the suprachiasmatic nucleus and another part of the tuberomammillary nucleus. Critically, the performance of the executive task was improved under higher illuminance and was negatively correlated with the activity of the posterior hypothalamus area. These findings reveal the distinct local dynamics of different hypothalamus regions that underlie the impact of light on cognition.

Longitudinal Investigation of Groundwater and Surface Water Interaction of Two Gravel Pit Lakes in Central Texas: Chemical and Flow Implications

Two gravel pit lakes in central Texas were examined over the course of two years with upgradient and downgradient piezometer installations. Groundwater and lake water were sampled bimonthly for nutrients, water levels, and groundwater chemistry, and in addition, rain and lake gauges and mini-piezometers were installed, depth surveys were conducted, and a simple 2D flow model was constructed. The project goal was evaluating and examining flow dynamics and chemical effects as groundwater flows to surface water and back to groundwater with the intent to understand the effects that gravel pit lake systems have on connected shallow groundwater. Both lake systems were shown to be flow-through systems that influence the water quality by decreasing the dissolved nutrients in the groundwater in their vicinity while oxygenating the water and altering the pH. However, the lakes are also prone to high levels of evaporation, meaning that minor improvements to water quality come at the cost of decreasing the quantity of water in storage within the aquifer. Similar groundwater and mine lake systems may show comparable tendencies, providing new information for water managers, regulators, and stake-holders about the potential roles that non-remediated gravel pit lakes may play in local ecosystems and aquifer dynamics.

Assessing the impacts of land use and climate change on the distribution patterns of Ulex europaeus L. (Fabaceae) in the Canary Islands

AbstractBiological invasions are one of the major threats to biodiversity, but their impact is particularly detrimental on oceanic islands like the Canary Archipelago. The common gorse (Ulex europaeus L. (Fabaceae)) is a highly invasive shrub with established populations in Tenerife, the sole island of the archipelago where it is present. Understanding the habitat preferences of U. europaeus is essential for predicting its current and potential future distribution across Tenerife and other Canary Islands, guiding effective local management practices. In 2019 and 2020, we surveyed different populations of U. europaeus in Tenerife, retrieving information on its abundance, presence of other invasive species and most frequent natural and anthropogenic characteristics of the landscape. We used this information to build explanatory and predictive models to identify the key natural and anthropogenic drivers of U. europaeus abundance in Tenerife and estimate the potential distribution of the species across the whole archipelago under current and future climatic conditions. Our findings showed that U. europaeus thrives in humid areas impacted by human activities where other invasive species persist. Both current and future climatic conditions do not support the presence of the species in the more arid islands of the archipelago (i.e., Fuerteventura and Lanzarote), rather highlight that the windwards, and thus more humid, areas of the other islands might support the species also under future warmer climatic scenarios. These findings deepen our understanding of U. europaeus local dynamics and are crucial to inform targeted management strategies to mitigate its impact across the Canary Archipelago and, ultimately, oceanic islands.

The real effects of distressed bank mergers

We show that distressed bank mergers that are a widely used instrument for bank resolution have the potential to generate adverse real economic effects. We analyze distressed mergers of German savings banks and show that they represent exogenous shocks to the (initially non-distressed) acquiring bank. In the years after a distressed merger: (i) the performance of the acquiring savings bank deteriorates; (ii) the shock is transmitted to firms in the acquirer’s region which cut back their investments and reduce employment and (iii) the overall macroeconomic dynamics in the region of the acquirer deteriorates, leading to reductions in investment and employment growth. To support a causal interpretation of our results we perform several tests that confirm that local economic dynamics is affected by the shock to the acquiring bank and not by real economic contagion.

Comparing the South African and Brazilian student uprisings (2015–2016): Similarities, Circulations, and Distance

ABSTRACT South Africa and Brazil are notorious for having some of the highest levels of (racialised) inequality on the planet, and dysfunctional education systems failing millions in their aspirations for a better life. Over 2015-16, student protests erupted across Brazilian and South African schools and universities, challenging these conditions through strikes, occupations, on-campus and street protests, and intellectual production. This paper builds on a World-Systems theoretical framework to understand the similarities, circulation, and distance between the two contemporaneous movements. In Brazil, the ‘Primavera Secundarista' high school occupations dealt primarily with local political dynamics, such as school closures, and intersectional forms of oppression. In South Africa, the ‘Fallist' university mobilisations demanded free, decolonised education, alongside addressing issues of outsourcing and institutional racism. In the first section, I give a comparative overview of these student movements’ similarities, situating them in their context and highlighting the key concerns and political and pedagogical practices of student activists in each. While these movements did not generally engage with each other, there were some important points of interaction, discussed in the second section. While highlighting these points of connection, I also advance an argument in the third section for why there was nevertheless relatively little direct engagement between these contemporaneous movements that otherwise had so much in common. The points of connection and disconnection between these similar movements offers insights about the functioning of the contemporary World-System and the modes of transnational circulation between movements therein, with lessons for transnational understandings of social movements, especially South-South movements.

Scanning Acousto-Optoelectric Spectroscopy on a Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Monolayer.

The charge carrier dynamics are investigated by surface acoustic waves (SAWs) inside a WSe2 monolayer on LiNbO3 by scanning acousto-optoelectric spectroscopy. A strong enhancement of the PL emission intensity is observed almost over the entire area of the flake. This enhancement increases with increasing amplitude of the wave and is especially strong at or in the vicinity to defects. The latter is attributed to the SAW-driven Poole-Frenkel activation of trapped charge carriers bound to trapping sites at these defects. In addition, the PL intensity exhibit clear periodic modulations at the SAW's frequencyfSAW and at 2 fSAW. These modulations are clear and unambiguous fingerprints of spatio-temporal carrier dynamics driven by the SAW. These occur on sub-nanosecond timescales which are found in good agreement with calculated exciton dissociation times. Mapping and analyzing both effects, this study shows that scanning acousto-electric spectroscopy provides a highly sensitive and local contact-free probe which uncovers distinct local features not resolved by conventional quasi-static photoluminescence techniques. The method is ideally suited to study carrier transport in 2D and other types of nanoscale materials and to reveal dynamic exciton modulation, and carrier localization and activation dynamics in the technologically important megahertz to gigahertz frequency range.