Natal legacies cause social and spatial marginalization during dispersal.

Early-life experiences can drive subsequent variation in social behaviours, but how differences among individuals emerge remains unknown. We combined experimental manipulations with GPS-tracking to investigate the pathways through which developmental conditions affect social network position during the early dispersal of wild red kites (Milvus milvus). Across 211 juveniles from 140 broods, last-hatched chicks-the least competitive-had the fewest number of peer encounters after fledging. However, when food supplemented, they had more encounters than all others. Using 4425 bird-days of GPS data, we revealed that this was driven by differential responses to competition, with less competitive individuals naturally spreading out into marginal areas, and clustering in central foraging areas when food supplemented. Our results suggest that early-life adversities can cause significant natal legacies on individual behaviour beyond independence, with potentially far-reaching consequences on the social and spatial structure of animal populations.

A framework for long-lasting, slowly varying transient dynamics.

Much of the focus of applied dynamical systems is on asymptotic dynamics such as equilibria and periodic solutions. However, in many systems there are transient phenomena, such as temporary population collapses and the honeymoon period after the start of mass vaccination, that can last for a very long time and play an important role in ecological and epidemiological applications. In previous work we defined transient centers which are points in state space that give rise to arbitrarily long and arbitrarily slow transient dynamics. Here we present the mathematical properties of transient centers and provide further insight into these special points. We show that under certain conditions, the entire forward and backward trajectory of a transient center, as well as all its limit points must also be transient centers. We also derive conditions that can be used to verify which points are transient centers and whether those are reachable transient centers. Finally we present examples to demonstrate the utility of the theory, including applications to predatory-prey systems and disease transmission models, and show that the long transience noted in these models are generated by transient centers.

Process and Time.

In regards to the nature of time, it has become commonplace to hear physicists state that time does not exist and that the perception of time passing and of events occurring in time is an illusion. In this paper, I argue that physics is actually agnostic on the question of the nature of time. The standard arguments against its existence all suffer from implicit biases and hidden assumptions, rendering many of them circular in nature. An alternative viewpoint to that of Newtonian materialism is the process view of Whitehead. I will show that the process perspective supports the reality of becoming, of happening, and of change. At the fundamental level, time is an expression of the action of process generating the elements of reality. Metrical space-time is an emergent aspect of relations between process-generated entities. Such a view is compatible with existing physics. The situation of time in physics is reminiscent of that of the continuum hypothesis in mathematical logic. It may be an independent assumption, not provable within physics proper (though it may someday be amenable to experimental exploration).

Demographic Basis of Spatially Structured Fluctuations in a Threespine Stickleback Metapopulation.

AbstractUncovering the demographic basis of population fluctuations is a central goal of population biology. This is particularly challenging for spatially structured populations, which require disentangling synchrony in demographic rates from coupling via movement between locations. In this study, we fit a stage-structured metapopulation model to a 29-year time series of threespine stickleback abundance in the heterogeneous and productive Lake Mývatn, Iceland. The lake comprises two basins (North and South) connected by a channel through which the stickleback disperse. The model includes time-varying demographic rates, allowing us to assess the potential contributions of recruitment and survival, spatial coupling via movement, and demographic transience to the population's large fluctuations in abundance. Our analyses indicate that recruitment was only modestly synchronized between the two basins, whereas survival probabilities of adults were more strongly synchronized, contributing to cyclic fluctuations in the lake-wide population size with a period of approximately 6 years. The analyses further show that the two basins were coupled through movement, with the North Basin subsidizing the South Basin and playing a dominant role in driving the lake-wide dynamics. Our results show that cyclic fluctuations of a metapopulation can be explained in terms of the combined effects of synchronized demographic rates and spatial coupling.

Accelerable Self-Sintering of Solvent-Free Molybdenum/Wax Biodegradable Composites for Multimodally Transient Electronics.

Biodegradable conductive composites are key materials or components for printable transient electronics that can be fabricated in a low-cost and high-efficiency manner, thereby boosting their wide applications in biomedical engineering, hardware security, and environmental-friendly electronics. Continuous efforts in this area still lie in the development of strategies for highly conductive, safe, and reliable biodegradable conductive composite materials and devices. This paper introduces molybdenum/wax composites for multimodally printable transient electronics in which multiple transience modes including dissolution-induced degradation and thermally triggered degradation are available. Systematic experiments demonstrate several advantages and unique properties of this material system, including solvent-free fabrication, self-sintering behavior, and long-term and high conductivity via accelerable self-sintering treatment and rehealing capabilities. Notably, the immersion of molybdenum/wax composites in phosphate buffer solution can provide both positive effects (accelerated self-sintering-dominated) and negative effects (degradation-dominated) on their electrical conductivities. Mechanism analyses reveal the basis for balancing the degradation and accelerated self-sintering processes. The presented demonstrations foreshadow opportunities of the developed molybdenum/wax composites in rehealable electronics, on-demand smart transient electronics with multiple transience modes, and many other related unusual applications.

Dispersal Decreases Survival but Increases Reproductive Opportunities for Subordinates in a Cooperative Breeder.

AbstractIn most socially structured populations, the formation of new groups depends on the survival and reproduction of dispersing individuals. Quantifying vital rates in dispersers, however, is difficult because of the logistic challenges of following wide-ranging animals. Here, using data from free-ranging meerkats (Suricata suricatta), we estimate survival and reproduction of dispersing females and compare these estimates to data for established residents. Meerkat groups consist of a dominant pair and several subordinate helpers. Female helpers are evicted from their resident groups by the dominant female, allowing her to monopolize reproduction, and evicted females may form small dispersing coalitions. We show that, as in established resident groups, one female is behaviorally dominant in parties of dispersing females. During dispersal and the first 4 months after new group formation, survival is lower for all females compared with established resident groups. At the same time, subordinates in disperser groups have higher birth rates than those in established groups, which rarely breed successfully. This may partly offset the survival costs of dispersal to subordinate females. Further studies of dispersal based on direct observation of dispersing animals are needed to explore the costs and benefits of dispersal in species with contrasting breeding systems.

Assisted dying: reflections on the psychological process.

This paper explores the question of assisted dying from both a legal and psychological perspective within the legal parameters in place at the time of writing of this paper. Links are made between Kohut's notion of an acceptance of the finiteness of existence and of transience as one of several indicators of the maturation and transformation of archaic narcissism, and Jung's notion of the readiness and ability to 'die with life' as the goal of the second half of life. The author raises awareness of the importance of the need for clarity with regard to these issues on the part of therapists who may be required to provide an evaluation of a patient's admissibility to a service of assisted dying.

Cet article explore le sujet de l'aide à la mort, à la fois du point de vue légal et psychologique, dans les paramètres légaux en place au moment de son écriture. L'article fait des liens entre la notion de Kohut - l'acceptation de l'aspect fini de l'existence et de son caractère éphémère comme l'un des indicateurs de la maturation et de la transformation du narcissisme archaïque - et l'idée de Jung selon laquelle le but de la seconde moitié de la vie est de développer sa capacité à « mourir avec la vie ¼. L'auteur attire l'attention sur l'importance du besoin de clarté concernant ces questions chez les thérapeutes auxquels on pourrait demander de fournir une évaluation de l'admissibilité d'un patient dans un service d'aide à la mort.

El presente trabajo explora el tema del acompañar el proceso de morir desde una perspectiva legal y psicológica en el marco de los parámetros legales existentes al momento de escribir el trabajo. Se plantean conexiones entre la noción de Kohut, de aceptación de la finitud de la existencia y la de transitoriedad como uno de los muchos indicadores de maduración y transformación del narcisismo primitivo, y la noción de Jung de disponibilidad y habilidad para 'morir con vida' como meta en la segunda mitad de la vida. El autor trae a la consciencia la importancia de la necesidad de claridad con respecto a estas cuestiones por parte de terapeutas quienes pueden ser requeridos para dar una evaluación sobre la admisibilidad de un paciente a un servicio de muerte asistida.

Este artigo explora a questão da morte assistida de uma perspectiva jurídica e psicológica dentro dos parâmetros legais em vigor no momento da redação deste artigo. São feitas ligações entre a noção de Kohut de aceitação da finitude da existência e da transitoriedade como um dos vários indicadores da maturação e transformação do narcisismo arcaico, e a noção de Jung da prontidão e capacidade de "morrer com vida" como o objetivo da segunda metade da vida. O autor conscientiza sobre a importância da necessidade de clareza em relação a essas questões por parte dos terapeutas que podem ser obrigados a fornecer uma avaliação da admissibilidade de um paciente a um serviço de morte assistida.

Towards Transient Electronics through Heat Triggered Shattering of Off-the-Shelf Electronic Chips.

With most of the critical data being stored in silicon (Si) based electronic devices, there is a need to develop such devices with a transient nature. Here, we have focused on developing a programmable and controllable heat triggered shattering transience mechanism for any off-the-shelf (OTS) Si microchip as a means to develop transient electronics which can then be safely and rapidly disabled on trigger when desired. This transience mechanism is based on irreversible and spontaneous propagation of cracks that are patterned on the back of the OTS chip in the form of grooves and then filled with thermally expandable (TE) material. Two types of TE materials were used in this study, commercially available microsphere particles and a developed elastomeric material. These materials expand >100 times their original volume on the application of heat which applies wedging stress of the groove boundaries and induces crack propagation resulting in the complete shattering of the OTS Si chip into tiny silicon pieces. Transience was controlled by temperature and can be triggered at ~160-190 °C. We also demonstrated the programmability of critical parameters such as transience time (0.35-12 s) and transience efficiency (5-60%) without the knowledge of material properties by modeling the swelling behavior using linear viscoelastic models.

Living with transience in high-risk humanitarian spaces: the gendered experiences of international staff and policy implications for building resilience.

Deployment in a crisis zone is a perilous undertaking. Little is known right now about how humanitarian workers relate social and professional goals to lived experiences of high-risk environments. In South Sudan, ranked as the most dangerous country globally for aid workers, 20 international humanitarian staff were interviewed to examine their sense of place, well-being, and vocation, using thematic and interpretative phenomenological analysis. Subjectivities of humanitarian space hinged upon negotiating physical hardships and social relationships: Juba, the capital, was described as a 'prison' and a 'party hotspot'. For expatriate staff, making sense of spatial, social, and professional transience was sharply gendered and rooted in the subjectivities of risk-taking, crisis management, and career-building. Two policy measures are highlighted here to address the implications of transience for human well-being and organisational effectiveness. Efforts to support teams and structure work environments, altering the humanitarian and vocational bubble, will help to develop resilience at the heart of humanitarian systems.

Patterns and determinants of dispersal in grey wolves (Canis lupus).

Dispersal is a key demographic process involving three stages: emigration, transience and settlement; each of which is influenced by individual, social and environmental determinants. An integrated understanding of species dispersal is essential for demographic modelling and conservation planning. Here, we review the dispersal patterns and determinants documented in the scientific literature for the grey wolf (Canis lupus) across its distribution range. We showed a surprisingly high variability within and among study areas on all dispersal parameters - dispersal rate, direction, distance, duration and success. We found that such large variability is due to multiple individual, social and environmental determinants, but also due to previously overlooked methodological research issues. We revealed a potential non-linear relationship between dispersal rate and population density, with dispersal rate higher at both ends of the gradient of population density. We found that human-caused mortality reduces distance, duration and success of dispersal events. Furthermore, dispersers avoid interaction with humans, and highly exposed areas like agricultural lands hamper population connectivity in many cases. We identified numerous methodological research problems that make it difficult to obtain robust estimates of dispersal parameters and robust inferences on dispersal patterns and their determinants. In particular, analyses where confounding factors were not accounted for led to substantial knowledge gaps on all aspects of dispersal in an otherwise much-studied species. Our understanding of wolf biology and management would significantly benefit if wolf dispersal studies reported the results and possible factors affecting wolf dispersal more transparently.

Degradation Behavior, Biocompatibility, Electrochemical Performance, and Circularity Potential of Transient Batteries.

Transient technology seeks the development of materials, devices, or systems that undergo controlled degradation processes after a stable operation period, leaving behind harmless residues. To enable externally powered fully transient devices operating for longer periods compared to passive devices, transient batteries are needed. Albeit transient batteries are initially intended for biomedical applications, they represent an effective solution to circumvent the current contaminant leakage into the environment. Transient technology enables a more efficient recycling as it enhances material retrieval rates, limiting both human and environmental exposures to the hazardous pollutants present in conventional batteries. Little efforts are focused to catalog and understand the degradation characteristics of transient batteries. As the energy field is a property-driven science, not only electrochemical performance but also their degradation behavior plays a pivotal role in defining the specific end-use applications. The state-of-the-art transient batteries are critically reviewed with special emphasis on the degradation mechanisms, transiency time, and biocompatibility of the released degradation products. The potential of transient batteries to change the current paradigm that considers batteries as harmful waste is highlighted. Overall, transient batteries are ready for takeoff and hold a promising future to be a frontrunner in the uptake of circular economy concepts.

Flexible Cyclic-Poly(phthalaldehyde)/Poly(ε-caprolactone) Blend Fibers with Fast Daylight-Triggered Transience.

Cyclic-poly(phthalaldehyde) (cPPHA) exhibits photo-triggerable depolymerization on-demand for applications like the photolithography of microfabricated electronics. However, cPPHA is inherently brittle and thermally sensitive; both of these properties limit its usefulness as an engineering plastic. Prior to this report, small molecule plasticizers are added to cPPHA-based films to make the polymer more flexible. But plasticizers can eventually leach out of cPPHA, then leaving it increasingly more brittle throughout product lifetime. In this research, a new approach to fabricating flexible cPPHA blends for use as spun fibers is achieved through the incorporation of poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL) by a modified wet spinning method. Among blend compositions, the 50/50 cPPHA/PCL fiber shows fast transience (<50 s) in response to daylight while retaining the flexibility of PCL and mechanical properties of an elastomer (i.e., tensile strength of ≈8 MPa, Young's modulus of ≈118 MPa, and elongation at break of ≈190%). Embedding 2 wt% gold nanoparticles to cPPHA can further improve the transience rate of fibers comprising less than 50% cPPHA. These flexible, daylight-triggerable cPPHA/PCL fibers can be applied to an extensive range of applications, such as wearable electronics, intelligent textiles, and zero waste packaging for which modest mechanical performance and fast transience are desired.

Range and Speed of Rotor Walks on Trees.

We prove a law of large numbers for the range of rotor walks with random initial configuration on regular trees and on Galton-Watson trees. We also show the existence of the speed for such rotor walks. More precisely, we show that on the classes of trees under consideration, even in the case when the rotor walk is recurrent, the range grows at linear speed.

Accelerating across the landscape: The energetic costs of natal dispersal in a large herbivore.

Dispersal is a key mechanism enabling species to adjust their geographic range to rapid global change. However, dispersal is costly and environmental modifications are likely to modify the cost-benefit balance of individual dispersal decisions, for example, by decreasing functional connectivity. Dispersal costs occur during departure, transience and settlement, and are levied in terms of energy, risk, time and lost opportunity, potentially influencing individual fitness. However, to the best of our knowledge, no study has yet quantified the energetic costs of dispersal across the dispersal period by comparing dispersing and philopatric individuals in the wild. Here, we employed animal-borne biologgers on a relatively large sample (N = 105) of juvenile roe deer to estimate energy expenditure indexed using the vector of dynamic body acceleration and mobility (distance travelled) in an intensively monitored population in the south-west of France. We predicted that energy expenditure would be higher in dispersers compared to philopatric individuals. We expected costs to be (a) particularly high during transience, (b) especially high in the more fragmented areas of the landscape and (c) concentrated during the night to avoid disturbance caused by human activity. There were no differences in energy expenditure between dispersers and philopatric individuals during the pre-dispersal phase. However, dispersers expended around 22% more energy and travelled around 63% further per day than philopatric individuals during transience. Differences in energy expenditure were much less pronounced during the settlement phase. The costs of transience were almost uniquely confined to the dawn period, when dispersers spent 23% more energy and travelled 112% further than philopatric individuals. Finally, the energetic costs of transience per unit time and the total distance travelled to locate a suitable settlement range were higher in areas of high road density. Our results provide strong support for the hypothesis that natal dispersal is energetically costly and indicate that transience is the most costly part of the process, particularly in fragmented landscapes. Further work is required to link dispersal costs with fitness components so as to understand the likely outcome of further environmental modifications on the evolution of dispersal behaviour.

Residential Transience Among Adults: Prevalence, Characteristics, and Association with Mental Illness and Mental Health Service Use.

This study examined the association between frequent residential mobility (i.e., residential transience) and mental illness, mental health service use, and unmet need for services. Data are from the 2010 to 2014 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (n = ~ 229,600). Logistic regression models examined the relationship between proximal (past year) and distal (past 2-5 years) residential transience and past year any mental illness (AMI), serious mental illness (SMI), mental health service use among adults with mental illness, and unmet need for services. Adults with transience had greater odds of AMI and SMI than those without transience. Proximal and distal transience were unrelated to past year mental health service use among adults with mental illness, but the odds of unmet need for services were greater among adults with transience compared with those without, suggesting a level of unmet service need among those with transience.

A ruptura do tempo na experiência do luto: um aprendizado / The rupture of time in the experience of mourning: an apprenticeship / La ruptura del tiempo en la experiencia del duelo: un aprendizaje / La rupture du temps dans l'expérience du deuil: un apprentissage

Com base em duas experiências particularmente dolorosas de perdas, o autor dedica-se a uma reflexão sobre o impacto da morte em como o tempo é experimentado durante o trabalho do luto. Este trabalho de caráter autoral, quase biográfico, foi escrito no decorrer de longos meses entremeados por momentos de silêncio e inspiração, buscando-se deixar que lembranças de diferentes naturezas pudessem vir a formar uma rede de conexões afetivas que favorecessem a continência, a transformação e a sobrevivência às perdas experimentadas. Passagens teóricas de Freud e Klein sobre o trabalho do luto e a experiência estética da transitoriedade são convocadas para dialogar com o autor na tentativa de esclarecimento acerca da percepção do tempo durante a elaboração de perdas afetivas. Este trabalho é dedicado à memória de Paola Magnani e Pérsio Nogueira.

Taking from two particularly painful experiences of loss, the author devotes himself to a reflection on the impact of death on the way time is experienced during the work of mourning. This authorial, almost biographical, paper was written over long months interspersed by moments of silence and inspiration, whilst attempting to let memories of different natures come to form a network of affective connections that favoured continence, transformation and survival to the losses experienced. Theoretical passages from Freud and Klein on the work of mourning and the aesthetic experience of transience are summoned to dialogue with the author in an attempt to clarify the perception of time during the elaboration of affective losses. This work is dedicated to the memories of Paola Magnani and Pérsio Nogueira.

A partir de dos experiencias particularmente dolorosas de pérdidas, el autor se dedica a una reflexión sobre el impacto de la muerte en la manera como el tiempo se experimenta durante el trabajo del duelo. Este trabajo de carácter autoral, casi biográfico, fue escrito a lo largo de luengos meses entremezclados por momentos de silencio e inspiración, buscando dejar que recuerdos de diferentes naturalezas pudieran formar una red de conexiones afectivas para favorecer la continencia, la transformación y la supervivencia a las pérdidas experimentadas. Los pasajes teóricos de Freud y Klein sobre el trabajo del luto y la experiencia estética de la transitoriedad son convocados para dialogar con el autor en el intento de esclarecimiento acerca de la percepción del tiempo durante la elaboración de pérdidas afectivas. Este trabajo está dedicado a las memorias de Paola Magnani y Pérsio Nogueira.

De deux expériences particulièrement douloureuses de pertes, l'auteur se livre à une réflexion sur l'impact de la mort sur la manière dont le travail de deuil est vécu. Cette œuvre d'auteur, presque biographique, a été écrite pendant de longs mois entrecoupés de moments de silence et d'inspiration, essayant de laisser des souvenirs de natures différentes former un réseau de connexions affectives qui favorisaient la continence, la transformation et la survie aux pertes subies. Les passages théoriques de Freud et Klein sur le travail de deuil et l'expérience esthétique de l'éphémère destinée sont invités à dialoguer avec l'auteur pour tenter de clarifier la perception du temps lors de l'élaboration des pertes affectives. Ce travail est dédié aux mémoires de Paola Magnani et Pérsio Nogueira.

State space and movement specification in open population spatial capture-recapture models.

With continued global changes, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and habitat fragmentation, the need for assessment of long-term population dynamics and population monitoring of threatened species is growing. One powerful way to estimate population size and dynamics is through capture-recapture methods. Spatial capture (SCR) models for open populations make efficient use of capture-recapture data, while being robust to design changes. Relatively few studies have implemented open SCR models, and to date, very few have explored potential issues in defining these models. We develop a series of simulation studies to examine the effects of the state-space definition and between-primary-period movement models on demographic parameter estimation. We demonstrate the implications on a 10-year camera-trap study of tigers in India. The results of our simulation study show that movement biases survival estimates in open SCR models when little is known about between-primary-period movements of animals. The size of the state-space delineation can also bias the estimates of survival in certain cases.We found that both the state-space definition and the between-primary-period movement specification affected survival estimates in the analysis of the tiger dataset (posterior mean estimates of survival ranged from 0.71 to 0.89). In general, we suggest that open SCR models can provide an efficient and flexible framework for long-term monitoring of populations; however, in many cases, realistic modeling of between-primary-period movements is crucial for unbiased estimates of survival and density.

Density-dependent dispersal strategies in a cooperative breeder.

Dispersal is a key ecological process that influences the dynamics of spatially and socially structured populations and consists of three stages-emigration, transience, and settlement-and each stage is influenced by different social, individual, and environmental factors. Despite our appreciation of the complexity of the process, we lack a firm empirical understanding of the mechanisms underlying the different stages. Here, using data from 65 GPS-collared dispersing female coalitions of the cooperatively breeding meerkat (Suricata suricatta), we present a comprehensive analysis of the effects of population density, mate availability, dispersing coalition size, and individual factors on each of the three stages of dispersal in a wild population. We expected a positive effect of density on dispersal due to increased kin competition at high densities. We further anticipated positive effects of mate availability, coalition size, and body condition on dispersal success. We observed increasing daily emigration and settlement probabilities at high population densities. In addition, we found that emigration and settlement probabilities also increased at low densities and were lowest at medium densities. Daily emigration and settlement probabilities increased with increasing female coalition size and in the presence of unrelated males. Furthermore, the time individuals spent in the transient stage increased with population density, whereas coalition size and presence of unrelated males decreased dispersal distance. The observed nonlinear relationship between dispersal and population density is likely due to limited benefits of cooperation at low population densities and increased kin competition at high densities. Our study provides empirical validation for the theoretical predictions that population density is an important factor driving the evolution of delayed dispersal and philopatry in cooperative breeders.

High-Risk Geographic Mobility Patterns among Young Urban and Suburban Persons who Inject Drugs and their Injection Network Members.

Young people in the USA who inject drugs, particularly those at a risk of residence instability, experience the highest incidence of hepatitis C (HCV) infections. This study examined associations between geographic mobility patterns and sociodemographic, behavioral, and social network characteristics of 164 young (ages 18-30) persons who inject drugs (PWID). We identified a potential bridge sub-population who reported residence in both urban and suburban areas in the past year (crossover transients) and higher-risk behaviors (receptive syringe sharing, multiple sex partners) compared to their residentially localized counterparts. Because they link suburban and urban networks, crossover transients may facilitate transmission of HIV and HCV between higher and lower prevalence areas. Interventions should address risk associated with residential instability, particularly among PWID who travel between urban and suburban areas.

Residential Mobility, Transience, Depression, and Marijuana Use Initiation Among Adolescents and Young Adults.

Marijuana use initiation is associated with numerous health and behavioral consequences, particularly among young adolescents. Finding easily identifiable risk markers for marijuana initiation is an important step for targeting primary and secondary prevention efforts. This study used data from the 2010-2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health to evaluate the association between residential mobility (no mobility, low mobility, high mobility [ie, transience]), and major depressive episode(s) (MDE) on marijuana initiation among adolescents (12-17) and young adults (18-20). Age-stratified logistic regression models indicated that among 12- to 13-year-old adolescents, mobility in the past 5 years and past year MDE have a multiplicative effect on the odds of past year marijuana initiation. Among adolescents aged 14 to 15 years, both mobility and MDE were independently associated with marijuana initiation, but there was no interaction. Among older adolescents (aged 16-17 years), only transience (⩾3 moves in the past 5 years) was associated with marijuana use initiation, and although MDE was significantly associated with marijuana initiation, there was no interaction with mobility. Among young adults, mobility was not associated with marijuana initiation. Residential mobility among young adolescents is an easily identifiable risk marker that may serve as an indicator for physical and mental health professionals, school personnel, and parents to use in targeting both depression and marijuana prevention efforts.