In Kazakhstan, plague outbreaks occur when its main host, the great gerbil, exceeds an abundance threshold. These live in family groups in burrows, which can be mapped using remote sensing. Occupancy (percentage of burrows occupied) is a good proxy for abundance and hence the possibility of an outbreak. Here we use time series of satellite images to estimate occupancy remotely. In April and Sep...

Biometric based authentication protocols for multi-server architectures have gained momentum in recent times due to advancements in wireless technologies and associated constraints. Lu et al. recently proposed a robust biometric based authentication with key agreement protocol for a multi-server environment using smart cards. They claimed that their protocol is efficient and resistant to promin...

Composite trace fossils are the product of two or more species of tracemakers. In many instances, such traces are also caused by different tracemaker behaviors and by tracemakers with different environmental requirements. In this study, composite trace fossils from eolianites of the Holocene Rice Bay Formation, San Salvador, Bahamas are examined. These trace fossils are likely decapod dwelling ...

The use of indirect estimates of ghost-crab populations to assess beach disturbance has several advantages, including non-destructiveness, ease and low cost, although this strategy may add some degree of noise to estimates of population parameters. Resolution of these shortcomings may allow wider use of these populations as an indicator of differences in quality among beaches. This study analyz...

The lossless Burrows-Wheeler Compression Algorithm has received considerable attention over recent years for both its simplicity and effectiveness. It is based on a permutation of the input sequence − the Burrows-Wheeler Transform − which groups symbols with a similar context close together. In the original version, this permutation was followed by a Move-To-Front transformation and a final ent...

Cyfluthrin was evaluated in the field as a residual insecticide to develop a new strategy for control of Old World phlebotomine sand fly vectors of leishmaniasis, which live and rest inside termite mounds and animal burrows. This insecticide was evaluated as a residual spray in Baringo District, Kenya, during 1993. Termite mounds and animal burrows were treated with a cyfluthrin/corn oil mixtur...

To optimize our livetrapping of low-density populations of lemmings (Dicrostonyx kilangmiutak) and voles (Microtus oeconomus) (0.2-0.4 animals/ha) in the Arctic tundra, we developed a powdered-slide tracking technique to determine if burrows were occupied. Painted microscope slides covered with talcum powder on a thin oil base were placed at all burrows on trapping grids, and only those burrows...

Using radiotelemetry, we monitored dispersing juvenile Western Burrowing Owls (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) within a migratory population in southwestern Idaho during 1994 and 1995. Owls remained within natal areas for an average (? SE) of 58 ?+ 3.4 days post-hatching before moving permanently beyond 300 m, which was our operational cutoff for dispersal from the natal area. On average, owls dis...

The Burrows-Wheeler Algorithm was published in the year 1994 by Michael Burrows and David Wheeler in the research report “A Block-sorting Lossless Data Compression Algorithm”. This research report is based on an unpublished work by David Wheeler from the year 1983. The Burrows-Wheeler Algorithm will used for data compression. The algorithm consists of several stages and these stages are perform...

Installation of subsurface tile lines in poorly drained soils is a beneficial management practice that enhances crop productivity. In some instances, however, they can contribute to offsite losses of agricultural chemicals and sediment in drain flow. Movement of these materials through soil macropores (earthworm burrows and cracks) has been shown to contribute to this phenomenon. In order to de...