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A scheme for satellite remote sensing is proposed to detect nighttime fog and low stratus (FLS) by combining visible, mid-infrared, and far-infrared channels. The S-NPP/VIIRS dataset and ERA5 reanalysis data are primarily used, and a comprehensive threshold system is established through statistical analysis, simulation calculations, and sensitivity experiments. 98 cases of nighttime FLS occurring from 2012 to 2020 in China, the United States, and surrounding areas are selected for algorithm validation, utilizing the global surface meteorological observations as comparison data. Preliminary results from the analysis of four typical cases indicate that the algorithm is temporally suitable for all lunar phase conditions from new moon to full moon at night, and spatially applicable to various types of underlying surfaces. The accuracy evaluation results of 14,378 satellite-ground matching samples further show that the algorithm has high accuracy overall, with a POD of 0.86, CSI of 0.81, and FAR of 0.06. The accuracy is highest in winter, lowest in summer, and intermediate in spring and autumn. The missed detections and false alarms predominantly occur at the edge of clouds, which may be caused by parallax and time difference between satellite and ground observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Mediterranean Sea, pelagic longline fisheries, targeting tuna and swordfish, have contributed significantly to the bycatch of threatened chondrichthyan species, such as blue shark (Prionace glauca). The Mediterranean blue shark population is assessed as critically endangered, making a timely implementation of mitigation measures crucial. A comprehensive understanding of blue shark habitat use dynamics is essential for deriving appropriate mitigation measures. This study aimed at evaluating vertical movement behaviour and investigating factors potentially influencing the movements of blue sharks in the Mediterranean Sea. Twenty-six blue sharks, bycaught in a longline fishery in the southern Adriatic, were tagged with pop-up satellite archival tags. Analysis of data from thirteen recovered tags revealed a distinctive diel movement pattern. Blue sharks used shallower waters during the night and deeper waters during the day, characterised by steep ascents and descents during sunset and sunrise, respectively. In addition, lunar phases were also influencing the depth of blue shark movements, with sharks using deeper waters right before and during full-moon. Shark size, salinity, currents, spatial location and time of the year were additional factors influencing blue shark depth use. The observed tendency of blue sharks to use deeper areas at daytime and prior and during the full moon period offers possibilities to develop and test bycatch mitigation strategies. Aligning longline fishing schedules and fishing depths with blue shark behaviour during the fishing seasons could hold promise to effectively reduce spatio-temporal overlap between fishing and blue shark distribution and may ultimately decrease the bycatch impact of the fishery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ground‐nesting shorebirds must balance the need for acoustic communication at the nest with the constant threat posed by predators. Although it may seem likely that their calls are adapted to minimize detection by predators, little is known about how these birds communicate at the nest or whether they employ cryptic strategies to avoid predation. Using passive acoustic devices and software to analyse extensive acoustic data, we quantified and categorised the calls of black‐tailed godwits Limosa limosa limosa recorded throughout the whole incubation at eight nests at a dairy farm in the Netherlands in March–June 2021. While incubating, godwits frequently use five main call types, with distinct diurnal patterns and high variation in the number of calls between breeding pairs. Birds used two quiet calls, one for communication at the nest and a second without an easily suggested meaning. Three loud calls were presumably used for predator alert, territory establishment, and long‐range communication. Interestingly, although nests were close to each other and exposed to the same aerial predators, the involvement of incubating birds in predator alert calling consistently differed. Furthermore, we described the relationship between the number of predator alert calls and the probability of a godwit flying off the nest. Our findings show that incubating godwits predominantly use loud vocalizations during the day, with only a few calls at night, which were more frequent on nights with a full moon. These descriptive findings for a single godwit community should now be expanded to other contexts, experimental situations, and shorebird species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus) is one of the most influential small pelagic fish in the Northwest Pacific Ocean, and accurate modeling approaches and model selection are critical points in predicting the Scomber japonicus fishing grounds. This study investigated the changes in catches and fishing days on no moonlight and bright moonlight days (2014-2022) and compared the differences in predictive performance between the LightGBM and RF models on three datasets under the two modeling approaches [those based on the light fishing vessels operational characteristics (Approach one) and those not (Approach Two)]. The results were as follows: 1) Stronger moonlight intensity (e.g., full moon) can limit the fishing efficiency of light fishing vessels, with most years showing a trend of a higher percentage of fishing days on bright moonlight days than catches percentage, i.e., no moonlight days resulted in higher catches with lower fishing days; 2) Compared to Modeling Approach Two, under Modeling Approach one, RF model achieved better predictive performance on dataset B, while the LightGBM model achieved better predictive performance on both datasets A and B; 3) Overall, the Approach One achieved more satisfactory prediction performance, with the optimal prediction performance on the complete dataset C improved from 65.02% (F1-score of the RF model, Approach Two) to 66.52% (F1-score of the LightGBM model, Approach Two); 4) Under the optimal modeling approach (Approach One) and the optimal model (LightGBM model), the differences in the importance of the variables on dataset A (no moonlight days) and dataset B (bright moonlight days) were mainly centered on the environmental variables, with CV, SLA, and SSS being the most important in dataset A, and CV, DO, and SLA being the most important in dataset B. This study provides a more scientific and reasonable modeling undertaking for the research of light purse seine fishing vessels, which is conducive to guiding fishermen to select the operating area and operating time of the Scomber japonicus fishery more accurately and comprehensively and realizing the balanced development of fisheries in terms of ecology and economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in lunar illumination alter the balance of risks and opportunities for animals, influencing activity patterns and species interactions. We examined if and how terrestrial mammals respond to the lunar cycle in some of the darkest places: the floors of tropical forests. We analysed long-term camera trapping data on 86 mammal species from 17 protected forests on three continents. Conservative categorization of activity during the night revealed pronounced avoidance of moonlight (lunar phobia) in 12 species, compared with pronounced attraction to moonlight (lunar philia) in only three species. However, half of all species in our study responded to lunar phases, either changing how nocturnal they were, altering their overall level of activity, or both. Avoidance of full moon was more common, exhibited by 30% of all species compared with 20% of species that exhibited attraction. Nocturnal species, especially rodents, were over-represented among species that avoided full moon. Artiodactyla were more prominent among species attracted to full moon. Our findings indicate that lunar phases influence animal behaviour even beneath the forest canopy. Such impacts may be exacerbated in degraded and fragmented forests. Our study offers a baseline representing relatively intact and well-protected contexts together with an intuitive approach for detecting activity shifts in response to environmental change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Induction of gonad maturation and synchronized spawning of corals ex situ has been mostly used to propagate corals for restoration, but it also provides a unique opportunity to study the reproductive biology of species. We present, for the first time, the induction of gonad maturation and synchronous spawning of the coral Montastraea cavernosa in a laboratory. This was achieved by mimicking the annual temperature, sun and moon cycles experienced in the northern portion of Florida's Coral Reef. Similarly to field observations, peak spawning of M. cavernosa colonies in the laboratory occurred 5–10 nights after the full moons of July, August, and/or September, 75–125 min after sunset. This coral species was known as gonochoric, meaning colonies are either females (release eggs) or males (release sperm). Yet, three consecutive years observing the same colonies ex situ revealed that these corals are capable of changing sexes annually, and they can do so in both directions. Spawning observations and histology showed corals shifting from male to female, others shifting from female to male, and several changing sex one year and reverting to their original sex in the following year. The sex change was not related to size, nor likely socially driven. A greater number of colonies was observed to shift from female to male when food provision was reduced. Further studies are required to determine if food availability drives sex change in this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we examine the orientation of Prasat Hin Phimai (an Angkorian-style Buddhist temple in Northeast Thailand) for its astronomical embodiment that could enrich the understanding of ancient culture and potentially date the temple. The obliquely-oriented Phimai Temple may have been aligned with an auspicious star observed relative to the Sun on the horizon, according to the ancient Indian Vastu Shastra principles of architecture. By comparing the azimuth of the temple, which was archaeoastronomically surveyed on-site, to that of stars estimated using precessional-corrected Stellarium, we discovered that only the Pleiades was aligned with the temple’s Eastern Gate at approximately 69.5° azimuth during the Khmer era. Further validation through traces of ethnoastronomy revealed that the Pleiades Full Moon Day (a Full Moon with the Pleiades) opposite the Sun in Scorpius may have been favored for aligning the temple, giving rise to an approximate period of orientation, and consequently the building of the original temple between 1007 and 1147 CE. These findings suggest a close connection with Mon Culture, a possible architect, and a potential patron. A New Year celebration and the entrance to the temple may have related to Agni, the presiding deity of the Pleiades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The migration of fishes through the Thoranit Naruemit water gate on the Nam Kam River, a tributary of the Mekong River in Thailand, was studied to understand the hydrological factors and improve the operational regime of the fish pass at the structure. Migration of fish from the Mekong River started in May, at the onset of the rainy season. During 60 days of operation, the fish pass supported the upstream migration of 83 species and ~440,000 fish, equivalent to about 11 tonnes of fish. The fish pass supported migration of a range of fish sizes between 45 and 700 mm, and most fish were larger than the size of first maturity for the species in question. The factors influencing migration into the Nam Kam included the lunar cycle, flow in the fish pass, water level in the river and flow variability. Migration tended to increase in the 3–4‐day period before or after a full moon. Discharge and water level changes associated with rising water levels in the Mekong River synchronize with the spawning season of most Mekong fish and trigger upstream migration. Many fish migrated through the pass at discharges through sluice gates between 8 and 323 m3/s and with a flow through the fish pass between 0.95 and 3.08 m/s. Restrictions to fish migration were found and recommendations for water gate and fish pass operation are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of the "Terminator" space experiment on board the International Space Station are presented. Images of Earth's atmosphere are obtained in the near IR spectral range with the limb geometry of observations under a full moon. The calculated vertical profiles of volume emission/scattering rate point that the aerosol layer occurs within the height region of 80–100 km in Earth's atmosphere. It is proposed that this layer is meteoric in origin. Estimates show that the size spectrum of aerosol particles lies within the 1–100 nm range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The growth of Sphagnum is influenced by the lunar cycle, which suggests a corresponding carbon (C) accumulation rhythm in peatlands. However, this rhythm can only occur if C accumulation from Sphagnum growth is not offset by its total losses through respiration and other processes. To address the uncertainty, through correlation-regression analysis we examine the influence of the lunar cycle on recent measurements of ecosystem (ER) and heterotrophic (Rh) respiration conducted by Järveoja and colleagues on the oligotrophic peatland of Degerö Stormyr. We found that ER and Rh accelerated near the full moon and slowed down near the new moon. The response of the hourly ER to the lunar cycle is significant from 22:00 to 8:00 and is not significant beyond this range. This response was concentrated in the initial and finished phases of the season, but during the middle of the season it disappeared. This behavior could potentially be caused by the high sensitivity of the Sphagnum cover to moonlight, as well as the sensitivity to the lunar cycle of only the nocturnal component ER. During most of the day, the lunar cycle had a significant effect on hourly Rh, with the highest impact observed between 5:00 and 10:00 and at 20:00. The greatest impact occurs during those hours when ER declines, and possibly Sphagnum photosynthetic productivity peaks. The findings suggest a circalunar rhythm of C accumulation in peatlands due to the opposite trends between C accumulation during Sphagnum growth and C losses with respiration during the lunar cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, daily historical records from Mexican weather stations across the country were classified according to corresponding Moon phases at the time of rainfall occurrence: New Moon, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Last Quarter, and Waning Crescent. Out of the 5839 Mexican weather stations analyzed, 2412 met the specified data quality standards, which included a historical daily record period ranging from 30 to 51 years (1960–2011) and a maximum tolerance of 20% missing data. Correlation behavior between Moon phases and historical cumulative rainfall in Mexico was identified at two levels: general and particular. At the general level, the total historical cumulative rainfall by Moon phase was quantified. At the particular level, the correlation patterns between the Moon phases and the highest and lowest historical cumulative rainfall were identified. The results showed that the historical cumulative rainfall was highest at 17.24% during the New Moon and lowest at about 10.01% on average during the Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, and Waning Crescent phases (with 9.64% as the lowest value). During the Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, and Waning Gibbous phases, rainfall remained at average values of approximately 13.18%. At 89.09% of the weather stations, the rainiest Moon phase was New Moon, and at 56.05%, the least rainy was Waning Crescent. In a few geographical areas, there are clearly defined patterns, which is atypical, given that in other geographical areas, the patterns are typically not so evident. This work demonstrates remarkable and strong correlation behavior between Moon phases and historical cumulative rainfall in Mexico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the benefits that can come from coordinated movement, many diadromous fishes have evolved partial migration strategies, where a portion of a population does not migrate. Co‐occurring life‐history variants might nonetheless gain some advantage by exhibiting congruent phenologies, with key events timed to follow the same cue. Here, we assess this possibility by examining otolith microchemistry and structure to quantify the lunar periodicity of hatching and metamorphosis according to migration strategy in a facultative amphidromous goby endemic to Hawai'i. Our analyses corroborated prior evidence that Awaous stamineus exhibits partial migration and that residential A. stamineus are often proportionately more abundant than the migratory form. Contrary to expectation, we found a significant difference in hatching time between migratory and residential A. stamineus. A higher proportion of A. stamineus migrants hatched at the full moon and metamorphosed at the new moon, whereas residents exhibited the opposite phenology. Comparisons to Sicyopterus stimpsoni intended to provide a broader context revealed that the obligately amphidromous species tends to hatch at the new moon and metamorphose at the full moon, mirroring the phenology of residential A. stamineus. Evidence of convergent lunar phenologies suggests that synchronising life‐history events can confer benefits that extend beyond species boundaries. Notably, phenological discordance could be acting as a prezygotic isolating barrier between sympatric life‐history variants, pointing to the presence of heretofore unrecognised evolutionary diversity within partially migratory species like A. stamineus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lunar phase is known to influence the spawning activity of some Lutjanus snappers, however, information on its influence on feeding activity is limited. In the present study, diet, feeding habit, and lunar periodicity of feeding activity on two reef‐associated sympatric snappers, blackspot snapper Lutjanus fulviflamma (n = 339) and blacktail snapper L. fulvus (n = 172), were investigated by stomach content analyses in the Yaeyama region (24°N, 124°E), southern Japan. Diets of the two snappers were similar and mainly consumed fishes, crabs, and shrimps. Relative volume of the stomach contents to body weight was compared by season, lunar day, and predator size using a generalized linear model. Larger individuals fed on larger fish prey and tended to show higher stomach fullness for both snappers. Periodic regression revealed that the lunar periodicity of the feeding activity is different between the two Lutjanus snappers. The feeding activity of L. fulviflamma increased around the spring tides of both new and full moons during a single lunar cycle. On the other hand, the feeding activity of L. fulvus increased only before the new moon but decreased before the full moon. Spawning of L. fulvus is known to occur only around the full moon, and enlarged gonads are considered to suppress the feeding activity of the species. Individuals with much stomach contents did not have large gonads for both snappers, and this supports the above supposition. Spawning and feeding activities are closely linked and simultaneous temporal analysis will enable a clearer understanding of the ecological role of these predators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Cimel Sun‐sky‐lunar photometer (CE318‐T) is designed to perform daytime and nighttime photometric measurements and calculate diurnal cycle of aerosol optical depth (AOD). Nevertheless, the determination of nocturnal AOD from CE318‐T requires a precise knowledge of extraterrestrial lunar irradiance, which significantly changes with moon's phase angle (MPA) and lunar libration in a single night. This study evaluated the 1‐year nocturnal AODs at Lanzhou by using three different methods, which were validated by collocated measurements of DIAL Lidar (as a reference) and Cimel software (as a proxy). The results indicated that three independent approaches could implement a similar performance to compute nocturnal AOD near full moon phase (i.e., MPA = 0°) under moderate aerosol loading. The spectral AOD values at nighttime calculated by ROLO Lunar Langley (Robotic Lunar Observatory model) and Sun‐moon Gain Factor (SMGF) methods are significantly underestimated under low moon's illumination or high MPA (MPA < −47° or MPA > 47°) and distinctly dependent on MPA. The RIMO correction factor (RCF) (ROLO Implementation for Moon photometry Observation correction factor) method could compensate the underestimated extraterrestrial lunar irradiances of ROLO model for about 6.76%–9.78%, and thus greatly improve the calculation accuracy of nighttime AOD. The day/night coherence transition test has demonstrated that we would obtain a good diurnal variation of AODs at Lanzhou after RCF correction. The overall averages of nocturnal AOD440nm differences between Cimel software and ROLO model and SMGF method are 0.064 ± 0.024 and 0.052 ± 0.022, respectively, while the corresponding difference of RCF is less than 0.021 ± 0.014 for all wavelengths, falling within uncertainty range of AERONET AOD products (∼±0.02). The diurnal variations of AODs determined from RCF method agree well with synchronous results of DIAL Lidar, with total mean AOD532nm differences of 0.038 ± 0.024 and 0.023 ± 0.017 in daytime and nighttime, respectively. The spectral AODs computed from RCF method are well consistent with Cimel software, although there are some discrepancies under low AOD cases (AOD440nm < 0.30), and the overall average of AOD440nm differences are less than −0.0053 ± 0.002 and −0.0185 ± 0.013 in daytime and nighttime, respectively. Our results confirmed that the CE318‐T photometer can be reasonably calculated nighttime AOD and Ångström exponent (AE440–870nm) at urban Lanzhou by using three independent methods, although the former two need to be greatly improved under low moon's illumination. The RCF method was proved to reliably calculate nocturnal AOD from moonlight irradiance, which didn't rely on MPA. A more accurate lunar irradiance model needs to be developed to improve the underestimation of current ROLO model. Long‐term climatological information of nocturnal AOD is crucial for comprehensively characterizing the diurnal variations of aerosol optical properties and atmospheric boundary layer structure during the winter at typical northern city of China, which deserves to be further investigated in the future. Plain Language Summary: Aerosol optical depth (AOD) is an essential physical quantity for characterizing total aerosol concentration and investigating its environmental and climatic effects. Newer photometer technology is increasing our ability to passively observe AODs at nighttime, using the moon as the light source. In this study, we determined the moon calibration coefficients of CE318‐T photometer at Lanzhou and compared the nocturnal AOD with collocated active Lidar observations. The three independent methods could implement a similar performance to compute nocturnal AOD near full moon phase under moderate aerosol loading. Although the RIMO correction factor (Robotic Lunar Observatory [ROLO] Implementation for Moon photometry Observation correction factor) method could compensate the underestimated extraterrestrial lunar irradiances of ROLO model for about 6.76%–9.78%, and greatly improve the calculation accuracy of nighttime AOD, with an accuracy of 0.021 ± 0.014, a more accurate lunar irradiance model needs to be developed to improve the underestimation of current ROLO model. Key Points: The nocturnal aerosol optical depths (AODs) calculated by Robotic Lunar Observatory and Sun‐moon Gain Factor methods are significantly underestimated under low moon's illumination and dependent on moon's phase angle (MPA)The RIMO correction factor (RCF) method can be reliably calculated nocturnal AOD from moonlight irradiance at urban Lanzhou, which didn't rely on MPABoth daytime and nighttime AODs computed from RCF method are well consistent with Cimel software and synchronous measurement of DIAL Lidar [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radar networks hold great promise for monitoring population trends of migrating insects. However, it is important to elucidate the nature of responses to environmental cues. We use data from a mini-network of vertical-looking entomological radars in the southern UK to investigate changes in nightly abundance, flight altitude and behaviour of insect migrants, in relation to meteorological and celestial conditions. Abundance of migrants showed positive relationships with air temperature, indicating that this is the single most important variable influencing the decision to initiate migration. In addition, there was a small but significant effect of moonlight illumination, with more insects migrating on full moon nights. While the effect of nocturnal illumination levels on abundance was relatively minor, there was a stronger effect on the insects' ability to orientate close to downwind: flight headings were more tightly clustered on nights when the moon was bright and when cloud cover was sparse. This indicates that nocturnal illumination is important for the navigational mechanisms used by nocturnal insect migrants. Further, our results clearly show that environmental conditions such as air temperature and light levels must be considered if long-term radar datasets are to be used to assess changing population trends of migrants. This article is part of the theme issue 'Towards a toolkit for global insect biodiversity monitoring'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct, simultaneous imaging of the full Moon rising asthe Sunwas setting proves that both objects can be seen concurrently. The onset of a total lunar eclipse provided the opportunity to capture this event near its most extreme possible separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This fragmented essay, titled "Melancholic Thoughts," explores various melancholic observations and reflections on nature and life. The author, Romualdas Vaicekauskas, contemplates the fleeting nature of spring, the loneliness of an old woman, and the joy of witnessing the beauty of nature. The essay also delves into the significance of birdsong and the lessons that can be learned from observing birds. The text is poetic and introspective, offering a unique perspective on the human experience. [Extracted from the article]

Perceptually natural SDR images should retain enough information for the human observer to estimate the time at which the actual HDR scene was captured. Previous experiments revealed new phenomena related to the variation in personal circadian features in daylight. In this study, we try to extend our hypothesis to twilight (mesoscopic) vision. The key idea of the confirmation process was to focus on the visual perception of full moon texture. The main result suggests that (1) Normalized Visual Percept (NVP) of twilight vision exists and is similar to that used in daylight, and furthermore (2) the former dynamic range is significantly wider than the latter, i.e., CR (contrast ratio) was more than 106:1 vs. 104:1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The four-year study outcomes for downstream migration of the juvenile Pink salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha in the Bolshaya Khuzi, Malaya Khuzi, Lazovaya, and Voznesenka Rivers on the East Sakhalin Island and in the Rybatskaya River on the Iturup Island, located far apart from one another along a meridian line (between 45° and 51° N) in different climatic regions, are present. Almost all smolts could migrate over two months, May and June. Similar trends in dynamics of daily downstream smalt migration in all the rivers, associated with reduction in the period of mass migration recorded at dark time during each 24-hour day at approaching the date of the summer solstice, were recorded. The climate patterns of regional variations (dates and degrees of warming trends, heavy precipitation at southern latitudes) significantly modify the pattern variations in the downstream migrant number (downstream migratory phases of increased and decreased passage activities) over a season relative to the river temperature and flow regimes under the spring warming conditions. Therefore, the relationships between the smolt downstream movement rate and the river water temperature and level tend to become weaker, largely, in the southern regions under the impact of the short-term weather variations in unsettled patterns relative to the impact strength and duration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the reproduction of the barnacle Tetraclita kuroshioensis Chan, Tsang & Chu, 2007 (Cirripedia: Thoracica: Tetraclitidae) at different heights in the intertidal zone in Okinawa, Japan with a focus on gonadal development, the brooding of eggs, and unhatched larvae, as well as the role of environmental factors in breeding rhythmicity. Histological observations collected around each full moon from September 2019 to October 2020 showed various stages of oocyte development in September and October 2019 and from March to September 2020, whereas mature testes were observed from April to October 2020. The breeding season of this species thus lasts for at least seven months under long-day conditions at a water temperature above 21 °C. Barnacles collected from three tidal levels on multiple occasions during April, August, and October 2020 displayed little vertical variation in their stage of ovarian development, but there was a noticeable difference in the percentage of brooding individuals in August and October, as well as an increased prevalence of brooding during the new-moon phase at the upper and middle tidal heights. Our findings indicate that larval release by T. kuroshioensis undergoes seasonal variation, apparently influenced by the cycles of lunar (major factor) and tide (minor factor) in their habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Risk assessment relies on cost–benefit analysis by prey species in relation to predator behavior. The lunar cycle can have strong influences on the way that predator and prey species behave in their environment as light levels can influence activity patterns. By examining how lunar phase influences behavior, we may be able to better predict instances of human–wildlife conflict. As part of the Elephants and Sustainable Agriculture in Kenya project, over 5 years of study have been dedicated to mitigating human–elephant conflict in the Kasigau Wildlife Corridor in southern Kenya, focusing on the construction of deterrent fences and the collection of environmental data in and bordering the Rukinga Wildlife Sanctuary. Elephant presence around crop fields was hypothesized to have a negative relationship with lunar light levels because of an increase in perceived risk from typically greater human activity with moonlight, and a positive relationship with increased darkness during the waning moon phases. The lunar phase data were compared to elephant presence within 12 m of experimental crop fields along the boundary of their wild habitat and human agricultural land to provide insight for potential crop raiding events. Elephants were present significantly less during the full and gibbous moon phases when compared to the new moon phase, and significantly more during the new and waning moon phases. Our findings are being shared with the farmers living in the KWC and may be useful to others living in high HEC areas by providing a form of early warning system that also may have broader applications in the mitigation of other human–wildlife interactions. HIGHLIGHTS Dynamic landscape of fear provides novel insight on elephant behavior near agricultural lands with applications for conservation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The registration of full-moon remote sensing images constitutes a pivotal stage in the fusion analysis of multiple lunar remote sensing datasets. Addressing prevailing issues in automatic registration, such as the broad width of full-moon data, significant internal distortion, and texture distortion in high-latitude regions, this paper proposes a method for automatic matching and correction based on triangulation constraints. The approach employs a matching strategy progressing from coarse to fine and from sparse to dense. It optimizes and combines multiple existing matching algorithms, enhances the extraction of initial network points, constructs irregular triangulation networks using these points, conducts dense matching with each triangulation network as a basic unit, and introduces a geometric correction method based on triangulation network + grid (TIN + GRID) for the registration of full-moon data. For the matching of full-moon remote sensing images in high-latitude regions, a novel approach involving memory projection forward transformation-matching-projection inverse transformation is adopted. Through registration experiments with full-moon image data and an analysis of registration accuracy at different latitudes, the average mean square error is found to be less than 2 pixels. These results signify the efficacy of the proposed method in effectively addressing the automatic registration challenges encountered in full-moon remote sensing images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge about biological rhythms of diseases may not only help in understanding the pathophysiology of diseases but can also help health service policy makers and emergency department directors to allocate resources efficiently. Aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) has high rates of morbidity and mortality. The incidence of SAH has been attributed to patient-related factors such as characteristics of aneurysms, smoking, and hypertension. There are studies showing that the incidence of aneurysmal SAH appears to behave in periodic fashions over long time periods. However, there are inconsistencies in the literature regarding the impact of chronobiological factors such as circadian, seasonal, and lunar cycle factors on the occurrence of SAH. In this study, we focused on the analysis of a temporal pattern of SAH (infradian rhythms) with a novel approach using circular statistical methods. We aimed to see whether there is a circular pattern for the occurrence of SAH at all and if so, whether it can be related to known temporal patterns based on available literature. Our study did not support the notion that aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhages occur on any specific day in a cycle with specific lengths up to 365 days including specific weekdays, full moon, equinoxes, and solstices. Hence, we found no relationship between SAH incidence and timing. Study in larger populations using similar circular statistical methods is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional beliefs about the influence of the moon's phases on human well-being and health remain vague in Estonia. The study hypothesized that Estonian pharmacists have noticed a periodic increase in the number of problematic pharmacy visitors, which can be associated with full moon days (3 days before and after). The observational study was conducted in 22 community pharmacies in Estonia (11 in standard and 11 in blind group), a total of 76 pharmacists filled out an observation diary daily for 10 months. Additionally, a questionnaire was used for 400 randomly selected employees of pharmacies. During the full moon period, the number of conflicts in the community pharmacies increased by 2.7 in the standard group and 3 times in the blind group (p<0.01). Pharmacists' opinions about the full moon's effect on the behavior of pharmacy visitors and themselves are described. Also, the sales of medicines for nervous system disorders increase on full moon days. Sensitive customers believe in the influence of the full moon and experience changes thanks to autosuggestion. The behavior of visitors is emotionally more unstable, with an increased level of anxiety. There is a need for further research on the impact of moon phases on behavioral aspects when providing medical and pharmaceutical care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diel flight activity in Cathartus quadricollis (Guerin-Meneville) (Coleoptera: Silvanidae), a predator of two important pests in Hawaii, coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) and tropical nut borer, Hypothenemus obscurus (F.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) was studied in a macadamia nut orchard using yellow sticky traps baited with pheromone and fungal volatile attractants. The study was conducted at different months throughout the year and at different times during the lunar cycle (new moon and full moon). Flight activity peaked in the late hours of the photophase into the early hours of the scotophase, between 1830 and 2000 h; flight activity also occurred but to a lesser extent in the early morning hours between 0700 and 1030 h. Numbers of captured C. quadricollis during periods of flight activity were negatively correlated with wind speed. The implications of these findings for the development of optimal pest management strategies including biological control are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abraham Cowley, a teenage student at Westminster School, published a collection of poetry in 1636 that included a translation of a Latin poem on the annunciation. The original Latin poem, attributed to 'Dr A.', has been tentatively identified as the work of William Alabaster. Cowley's translation closely mirrors the structure and content of the Latin verses, showcasing his fidelity to the original source. Recent evidence linking Alabaster to Cowley through notebooks and stylistic similarities further supports the identification of 'Dr A.' as William Alabaster. [Extracted from the article]