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The grid and link search methods are used to recover scattered skeletal remains. Neither have not been compared robustly and clear guidelines for the link method have not been sufficiently developed. The study aimed to compare the effectiveness and efficiency of both methods and propose guidelines for the link method. The scattering patterns of two scavengers of forensic relevance—slender mongooses (Galerella sanguinea) and black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas)—were recreated using four pig skeletons (Sus scrofa domesticus). Two groups (n = 6 each) were assigned a different method to recover the scattered remains. The length of the search and when each bone was located for each scatter pattern was recorded for each group and scatter pattern. A Likert scale questionnaire assessed participants' perceptions of their assigned method. A paired t-test (p = 0.005) compared the efficiency of each method and the questionnaire answers. Both methods were effective, recovering 100% of all remains. The link method was more efficient for both scatter patterns, despite there being no statistical significance (jackal: p = 0.089; mongoose: p = 0.464). Participants indicated favorable views for both methods; however, the link method scored significantly more favorably (p = 0.01) for efficiency. Specific guidelines were developed for the use of the link method. The link method is suggested for the recovery of scattered remains in forensic contexts, especially when the scavenger, its behavior, and scattering pattern is known or suspected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to determine the sequence type (ST) of Bartonella henselae infecting small Indian mongooses from Saint Kitts via multi-locus sequence typing (MLST). This investigation used stored EDTA blood (n = 22) samples from mongooses previously identified as positive for B. henselae. Chocolate agar plates were enriched with Bartonella alpha-Proteobacteria growth medium (BAPGM) to culture and isolate Bartonella from the blood samples. To perform MLST, DNA was extracted and purified from isolates followed by amplification by conventional PCR (300–500 bp) for eight genes (16S rDNA, batR, gltA, groEL, ftsZ, nlpD, ribC, and rpoB). Bartonella henselae STs were deposited in the PubMLST repository. Out of 22 B. henselae-positive blood samples, isolates were obtained from 12 mongooses (54.5%; 12/22). Each mongoose was infected with one ST. The studied mongoose population was infected with sequence types ST2, ST3, ST8, and a novel ST represented by ST38. Bartonella henselae ST2, ST3 and ST8 infecting mongooses are known to circulate in humans and cats, with ST2 and ST8 associated with Cat Scratch Disease (bartonellosis) in humans. The results presented herein denote the circulation of B. henselae STs with zoonotic potential in mongooses with risk of B. henselae transmission to humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applying a pan-astrovirus (AstV) RT-hemi-nested PCR assay, we report here high detection rates (28.3%, 15/53) of AstVs in the small Indian mongoose (Urva auropunctata) on the Caribbean Island of St. Kitts. Based on deduced amino acid (aa) identities and phylogenetic analysis of long RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) sequences (~315 aa, partial RdRp), the AstVs detected in the mongooses (designated as Mon-AstVs) were classified into two distinct groups (deduced aa identities of 66.45–67.30% between the groups). The putative RdRps of the Mon-AstVs shared low deduced aa identities with those of AstVs from other host species (<69%, <54%, and <50% identities with reptilian/amphibian AstVs, avastroviruses, and mamastroviruses, respectively). Phylogenetically, the group-I and group-II Mon-AstVs formed two distinct clusters, near the cluster of reptilian/amphibian AstVs, and were distantly related to avastroviruses and mamastroviruses. Since the mongooses were apparently healthy during sampling, we could not establish if the Mon-AstVs infected the animal or were of dietary origin. Although we could not ascertain the true host of the Mon-AstVs, phylogenetic analysis indicated that these viruses might have originated from lower vertebrates. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the detection and molecular characterization of AstVs in mongooses, highlighting the wide host range and significant genetic diversity within the family Astroviridae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying the interactions between prey and predators is crucial for understanding the intricacies of predator-prey dynamics and for formulating effective conservation strategies. Yet there is almost no systematic analysis of pancake tortoise predation, and its consequences on the tortoise populations. Using camera trapping and visual encounter surveys, we recorded the animals visiting the crevices inhabited by pancake tortoises, as well as their surroundings. From our data, we propose which visitors were potential predators, and consider predator impacts on the species. We suggest ten species (21.3%) as potential predators, among the 47 visiting the tortoise crevices between July 2020 and November 2022. We encountered six adult pancake tortoises killed and eaten by unknown predators. Four of six eggs laid by pancake tortoises in May−June 2022 were also depredated. The white-tailed mongoose (Ichneumia albicauda) and the honey badger (Mellivora capensis) were recorded probing rock crevices inhabited by pancake tortoises, with their behaviour suggesting potential predation upon tortoises. We recorded the rock monitor lizard (Varanus albigularis) and common dwarf mongoose (Helogale parvula) digging pancake tortoise nest sites. This study significantly advances our understanding of the predation risk to the critically endangered pancake tortoise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we propose a novel cloud-edge collaborative task assignment model for smart farms that consists of a cloud server, m edge servers, and n sensors. The edge servers rely solely on solar-generated energy, which is limited, whereas the cloud server has access to a limitless amount of energy supplied by the smart grid. Each entire task from a sensor is processed by either an edge server or the cloud server. We consider the task to be unsplittable. Building on the algorithm for the multimachine job scheduling problem, we develop a corresponding approximation algorithm. In addition, we propose a new discrete heuristic based on the dwarf mongoose optimization algorithmm, named the discrete dwarf mongoose optimization algorithm, and we utilize the proposed approximation algorithm to improve the convergence speed of this heuristic while yielding better solutions. In this study, we consider task sets with heavy tasks independently, where a heavy task is a task that requires many computing resources to process. If such tasks are assigned as ordinary tasks, the assignment results may be poor. Therefore, we propose a new method to solve this kind of problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing number of consumers with diverse data rate needs is leading to increased heterogeneity in traditional cellular networks. Nonorthogonal multiple access (NOMA) has emerged as a promising method to serve a large number of users, but research shows that weak users (WU) and strong users (SU) have different throughputs. Intra-group interference reduces WUs throughput due to the superposition of signals. Improper power distribution impacts NOMA performance and lowers the total system rate. The multiobjective sum rate dwarf mongoose optimization algorithm (M-SRDMOA) is implemented as a solution to the NOMA network power allocation problems. The DMOA approach distributes adequate power to all NOMA users to increase the large sum rate. The effectiveness of the M-SRDMOA approach is supported by existing studies on fair NOMA scheduler (FANS) and multi-objective sum rate-based butterfly optimization algorithm (MSRBOA). The M-SRDMOA's potential sum rate with an SNR of 9dB and a noise variation=2 is 14.06 bps/Hz, which is high compared to M-SRBOA and FANS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of zooarchaeological collections from Mérida is still rare, lacking above all information on the Romans diet and animal management. Here we present the description of the fauna found in a dump next to the northern part of the Roman wall, which also includes some contexts of ritual nature, dated to the 1st century AD until the beginning of 5th century AD. The osteological remains of animals have shown that most of them come from food waste and worked bones. We can see that there is a temporal evolution in the use of that space and in the species used, with smaller animals being preferred in the first phase and cattle being more abundant in the 4th century. Some improvement indicators were also identified, as would be expected for a provincial capital, such as Emerita Augusta. Also, ritual burials of numerous dogs as well as a skeleton of the oldest specimen in Iberia of Egyptian mongoose, camel and an edible dormouse, constitute interesting discoveries in this assemblage, demonstrating that this is an exceptional sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, subtitles in different languages have become more available and accessible, thanks to streaming platforms like Netflix, which provide viewers with multiple language choices, including Arabic and English. This study examines the strategies of subtitling Egyptian phraseological units, particularly idioms, into English. The parallel corpus of data under examination consists of two Egyptian movies, namely, " The Great Chinese Beans" and " The Humans and the Mongoose". Following Baker's taxonomy of translation strategies, the analysis showed that the examined idioms were predominantly translated through cultural substitution. The analysis also showed that there were instances of erroneous literal translation. Furthermore, several cases of mistranslation were identified, which could be attributed to a potential lack of understanding of the nuances and subtleties of the source and target cultures, as well as limitations and difficulties in finding appropriate equivalents. This study may hold significance for translation practitioners and scholars, specifically those focusing on subtitling, cultural translation, and the translation of idiomatic expressions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural changes in electrical energy systems are occurring rapidly. Due to the development of technology and the increase in energy consumption, the importance and impact of nanogrids in the energy system is increasing. It is very difficult to sustain nanogrids as offgrid. Therefore, this study thoroughly examines the most efficient controller designs for nanogrids that use fuel cells as their primary source of energy. In addition, Dwarf Mongoose Optimization (DMO), a new effective optimization technique, is used to determine controller gains in nanogrid systems for the first time in the literature. Controller gains for different objective functions such as ISE, IAE, ITSE and ITAE are determined using classical PID controllers and two degrees of freedom (2 DOF) PID controllers. Moreover, sensitivity analysis is carried out for both variable and constant load scenarios. The constant load is selected as 0.25 pu, and variable load is chosen from values ranging from 0.15 pu to 0.75 pu. In addition, the response of the system to parameter changes is examined by increasing or decreasing the time constants in all load cases. The system parameters are changed from −20 % to +40 % in 0.05 intervals. It has been noted that the suggested controller topologies perform differently depending on the objective functions. Thus, a significant contribution has been made to researchers to indicate the effectiveness of various control structures in fuel cell powered nanogrids. [Display omitted] • Classical and 2 DOF PID controllers are investigated in fuel cell powered nanogrids. • DMO algorithm is proposed to determine the controller gains. • Sensitivity analyses are examined for different load cases. • The performances are analysed for different objective functions. • The controllers demonstrate different performance for different objective functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Dwarf Mongoose Optimization Algorithm (DMO) is inspired by the behaviour of Dwarf Mongoose which can strike the ideal balance throughout research between exploration and exploitation. In this article, we combine algorithms of the Dwarf Mongoose Optimization Algorithm and the Nelder-Mead Algorithm (DMONM). In addition, the statistically evaluated functions is utilized by calculating the average and the standard deviation values that are used to validate the suggested algorithm's performance. The experimental results are on high-efficiency optimization functions with various dimensions. The hybrid algorithm produces good, encouraging, and better outcomes than the original algorithms. The results show that the proposed algorithm could enhance the effects of DMO when it used to solve the optimization issues of the multi-objective reliability system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While comparing to the additional medical imaging modalities, the low resolution (LR) with poor quality images are obtained because of natural intrinsic imaging characteristics. We proposed a novel deep learning- based super-resolution of ultrasound images that are texture-driven. In this study, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) are used to speed up the process to increase the image quality. Additionally, the Dwarf Mongoose Optimization (DMO) method is used to adjust the parameters of CNN thereby improving the quality of the image resolutions. The textures of the super-resolution images are examined with the Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG). The experimental works are handled using python software. Super-resolution per second and PSNR/dB values for the proposed model are 0.289 and 42.340, respectively. This model also offers FSO, GMSD, MAD, and MSSIM values of 0.9712, 0.013, 0.9802, and 0.9832 which is relatively higher than the existing techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Color mutations are a common phenomenon in vertebrates. Among these anomalies, albinism is the most common in wild mammals. We deployed 78 camera traps across the Yoko Council Forest (YCF) to inventory medium to large-sized terrestrial mammals and we obtained a total effort of 17,981 operational camera trap days, giving 169 detections of long-nosed mongoose. During this study, we obtained two independent detections of albino long-nosed mongooses (Xenogale naso). To our knowledge, this is the first report of albinism in this taxon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate short-term electrical load forecasting is crucial for the stable operation of power systems. Given the nonlinear, periodic, and rapidly changing characteristics of short-term power load forecasts, this paper introduces a novel forecasting method employing an Extreme Learning Machine (ELM) enhanced by an improved Dwarf Mongoose Optimization Algorithm (Local escape Dwarf Mongoose Optimization Algorithm, LDMOA). This method addresses the significant prediction errors of conventional ELM models and enhances prediction accuracy. The enhancements to the Dwarf Mongoose Optimization Algorithm include three key modifications: initially, a dynamic backward learning strategy is integrated at the early stages of the algorithm to augment its global search capabilities. Subsequently, a cosine algorithm is employed to locate new food sources, thereby expanding the search scope and avoiding local optima. Lastly, a "madness factor" is added when identifying new sleeping burrows to further widen the search area and effectively circumvent local optima. Comparative analyses using benchmark functions demonstrate the improved algorithm's superior convergence and stability. In this study, the LDMOA algorithm optimizes the weights and thresholds of the ELM to establish the LDMOA-ELM prediction model. Experimental forecasts utilizing data from China's 2016 "The Electrician Mathematical Contest in Modeling" demonstrate that the LDMOA-ELM model significantly outperforms the original ELM model in terms of prediction error and accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intelligent swarm optimization algorithms have become increasingly common due to their success in solving real-world problems. Dwarf Mongoose Optimization (DMO) algorithm is a newly proposed intelligent swarm optimization algorithm in recent years. It was developed for continuous optimization problem solutions in its original paper. But real-world problems are not always problems that take continuously variable values. Real-world problems are often problems with discrete variables. Therefore, heuristic algorithms proposed for continuous optimization problems need to be updated to solve discrete optimization problems. In this study, DMO has been updated for binary optimization problems and the Binary DMO (BinDMO) algorithm has been proposed. In binary optimization, the search space consists of binary variable values. Transfer functions are often used in the conversion of continuous variable values to binary variable values. In this study, twelve different transfer functions were used (four Z-shaped, four U-shaped, and four Taper-shaped). Thus, twelve different BinDMO variations were obtained (BinDMO1, BinDMO2, ..., BinDMO12). The achievements of BinDMO variations were tested on thirteen different unimodal and multimodal classical benchmark functions. The effectiveness of population sizes on the effectiveness of BinDMO was also investigated. When the results were examined, it was determined that the most successful BinDMO variation was BinDMO1 (with Z1-shaped transfer function). The most successful BinDMO variation was compared with three different binary heuristic algorithms selected from the literature (SO, PDO, and AFT) on CEC-2017 benchmark functions. According to the average results, BinDMO was the most successful binary heuristic algorithm. This has proven that BinDMO can be chosen as an alternative algorithm for binary optimization problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Security in smart cities is a challenging issue in urban environments as they depend upon interconnected technologies and data for effective services. To address security challenges, smart cities implement robust cybersecurity measures, including network monitoring, encryption, and intrusion detection systems. Detecting and mitigating possible security risks in drone network B5G is a crucial aspect of ensuring reliable and safe drone operation. It is necessary to establish sophisticated and robust attack detection techniques to defend against security threats as the use of drones becomes increasingly widespread and their applications diversify. This is due to the lack of privacy and security consideration in the drone's system, including an inadequate computation capability and unsecured wireless channels to perform advanced cryptographic algorithms. Intrusion detection systems (IDS) and anomaly detection systems can identify suspicious activities and monitor network traffic, such as anomalous communication patterns or unauthorized access attempts. Therefore, the study presents an enhanced dwarf mongoose optimization algorithm with deep learning-based attack detection (EDMOA-DLAD) in Networks B5G for the purpose of Drones technique. The presented EDMOA-DLAD technique aims to recognize the attacks and classifies them on the drone network B5G. Primarily, the EDMOA-DLAD technique designs a feature selection (FS) approach using EDMOA. To detect attacks, the EDMOA-DLAD technique uses a deep variational autoencoder (DVAE) classifier. Finally, the EDMOA-DLAD technique applies the beetle antenna search (BAS) technique for the optimum hyperparameter part of DVAE model. The outcome of EDMOA-DLAD approach can be verified on benchmark datasets. A wide range of simulations inferred that the EDMOA-DLAD method obtains enhanced performance of 99.79% over other classification techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human activities result in the emission of 2000 metric tons of mercury compounds annually. Mercury (Hg) biomagnification has been characterized in marine mammals and predatory fish; however, little is known about mercury accumulation in brains of wild terrestrial species. Elevated Hg content, of 1.27 μg/g wet wt.—found in the brain of wild small Indian mongoose, prompted us to use synchrotron X-ray fluorescence imaging for simultaneous, quantitative mapping of biologically relevant and neurotoxic elements with high spatial resolution. X-ray fluorescence combined with immunohistochemistry revealed ~0.5–1.9 micron Hg-rich aggregates in cells of the choroid plexus and astrocytes of the subventricular wall in the mongoose brain. Hg content within aggregates correlated with selenium. Hg aggregates did not co-localize with lysosomes. The low Hg density inside aggregates indicated diffuse Hg binding to a Se-containing biomolecule, rather than much denser HgSe nanoparticles proposed to form in other species. Our data show the susceptibility of the small Indian mongoose population to Hg pollution and highlight the vulnerability of the brain as an organ targeted by mercury. Data also provide evidence on the adaptation in the form of a Se-based detoxification mechanism sequestering Hg into intracellular aggregates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meller's mongoose (Rhynchogale melleri) is a member of the family Herpestidae (Mammalia: Carnivora) and the sole species in the genus Rhynchogale. It is primarily found in savannas and open woodlands of eastern sub-Saharan Africa. Here, we report the first complete mitochondrial genome for a female Meller's mongoose collected in Tanzania, generated using a genome-skimming approach. The mitogenome had a final length of 16,644 bp and a total of 37 annotated genes. Phylogenetic analysis validated the placement of this species in the herpestid subfamily Herpestinae. Ultimately, the outcomes of this research offer a genetic foundation for future studies of Meller's mongoose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species displaced outside their native range may face new pressures resulting from both environmental gradients and important differences in ecosystem structure. We investigated how this may impact the morphological variation of a globally introduced carnivoran, the small Indian mongoose. Previous research showed size variations in several introduced populations, suggesting that these differences resulted from character release in response to the absence of competition from native species. Here, we contrasted the morphological evolution of indigenous and introduced populations using geometric morphometric approaches on the head system of a large sample of specimens belonging to several regions. Our analyses revealed that differences in size and shape between introduced and native populations do not support hypothesis of character release. These results suggest that morphological variations in introduced populations may reflect the introduction history of the species, rather than evolutionary processes resulting from changes in ecosystem composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reduced flight initiation distance (FID) enables urban-living animals to forage closer to humans, while improved cognitive abilities may be beneficial in assessing the level of danger. We assessed whether yellow mongooses, Cynictis penicillata , which are more tolerant to human disturbances, are also better problem-solvers. Mongooses in two locations (N = 5), differing in levels of human contact, were presented with a puzzle-box containing a food incentive. FID was longer in the location with more human contact, but reduced at sites closer to humans. With greater human contact, mongooses fled further from the puzzle box and took longer to recover. Despite differences in tolerance to human disturbance and the subsequent recovery, location did not affect problem-solving efficiency. However, the fear response and recovery time decreased in mongooses with lower tolerance of humans, whereas problem-solving decreased in mongooses that were more tolerant to humans, possibly a result of habituation to the humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the agricultural sector, soil quality plays a pivotal role in determining crop types. Traditional manual soil analysis can be time-consuming and reliant on a limited number of experts, often resulting in insufficient knowledge about local soil conditions. For accurate soil classification process, this study develops a Dwarf Mongoose Optimization with DL Based Soil Classification (DMODL-SC) model. The presented DMODL-SC technique majorly recognizes different kinds of soil using CV and DL models. In the presented DMODL-SC technique, bilateral filtering (BF) technique is used for noise removal process which eradicate the presence of noise exist in the soil images and enhances its quality. In addition, the presented DMODL-SC technique employs capsule network (CapsNet) model for feature extraction process. Moreover, Denoising Auto Encoder (DAE) is exploited for the identification and classification of soil. Since the manual hyperparameter tuning is a tedious process, the DMO algorithm is applied to tune the hyperparameters related to the DAE model. To demonstrate the enhanced performance of the projected DMODL-SC system, an extensive range of experiments were performed. The comparison study reported the improvised soil classification performance of the DMODL-SC technique over other approaches with maximum accuracy of 95.92%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposed adaptive hybrid dwarf mongoose optimization (DMO) with whale optimization algorithm (DMOWOA) to extract solar cell model parameters. In DMOWOA, the whale optimization algorithm (WOA) is used to enhance the capability of DMO in escaping local optima, while introducing inertial weights to achieve a balance between exploration and exploitation. The DMOWOA performances are tested through the solving of the single diode model, double diode model, and photovoltaic (PV) modules. Finally, the DMOWOA is compared with six well-known algorithms and other optimization methods. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed DMOWOA exhibits remarkable competitiveness in convergence speed, robustness, and accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forensic taphonomic studies are regionally specific and improve time since death estimates for medico‐legal casework. Within forensic taphonomy and carrion ecology, vertebrate scavengers are under‐researched with many studies conducted using multiple, unclothed carcasses. This is a forensically unrealistic experimental design choice with unknown impact. The effect of variation in carrion biomass on the decomposition ecosystem, particularly where vertebrate scavengers are concerned, requires clarification. To assess the effect of carrion biomass load on vertebrate scavenging and decomposition rate, seasonal baseline data for single, clothed ~60 kg porcine carcasses were compared to clothed multiple‐carcass deployments, in a forensically relevant habitat of Cape Town, South Africa. Decomposition was tracked via weight loss and bloat progression and scavenging activity via motion‐activated cameras. The single carcasses decayed more quickly, particularly during the cooler, wetter winter, strongly correlated with concentrated Cape gray mongoose (Galerella pulverulenta) scavenging activity. On average and across seasons, the single carcasses lost 68% of their mass by day 32 (567 accumulated degree days [ADD]), compared to 80 days (1477 ADD) for multi‐carcass deployments. The single carcasses experienced substantially more scavenging activity, with longer visits by single and multiple mongooses, totaling 53 h on average compared to 20 h for the multi‐carcass deployments. These differences in scavenging activity and decay rate demonstrate the impact of carrion biomass load on decomposition for forensic taphonomy research. These findings need corroboration. However, forensic realism requires consideration in taphonomic study design. Longitudinally examining many single carcasses may produce more forensically accurate, locally appropriate, and usable results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a modified intelligent metaheuristic form of the Dwarf Mongoose Optimizer (MDMO) for optimal modeling and parameter extraction of solar photovoltaic (SPV) systems. The foraging manner of the dwarf mongoose animals (DMAs) motivated the DMO's primary design. It makes use of distinct DMA societal groups, including the alpha category, scouts, and babysitters. The alpha female initiates foraging and chooses the foraging path, bedding places, and distance travelled for the group. The newly presented MDMO has an extra alpha-directed knowledge-gaining strategy to increase searching expertise, and its modifying approach has been led to some extent by the amended alpha. For two diverse SPV modules, Kyocera KC200GT and R.T.C. France SPV modules, the proposed MDMO is used as opposed to the DMO to efficiently estimate SPV characteristics. By employing the MDMO technique, the simulation results improve the electrical characteristics of SPV systems. The minimization of the root mean square error value (RMSE) has been used to compare the efficiency of the proposed algorithm and other reported methods. Based on that, the proposed MDMO outperforms the standard DMO. In terms of average efficiency, the MDMO outperforms the standard DMO approach for the KC200GT module by 91.7%, 84.63%, and 75.7% for the single-, double-, and triple-diode versions, respectively. The employed MDMO technique for the R.T.C France SPV system has success rates of 100%, 96.67%, and 66.67%, while the DMO's success rates are 6.67%, 10%, and 0% for the single-, double-, and triple-diode models, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) value is an important metric used to evaluate the performance of various devices and systems in electrical systems. A low THD value is expected for optimal performance. In this study, the THD value of the output voltage of a cascaded H-bridge multi-level inverter (CHB-MLI) was optimized by using a newly developed Dwarf Mongoose Optimization (DMO) algorithm. The performance of the adapted DMO algorithm has been tested alongside the Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithms on a three-phase, nine-level cascaded H-bridge multi-level inverter (CHB-MLI). Convergence, consistency, and speed tests have been conducted for these algorithms. After detailed validation through MATLAB simulations, the results were analyzed, and it was concluded that the DMO algorithm outperformed the mentioned algorithms in the modulation index range of 0.1 to 1.0. In conclusion, it has been demonstrated that the DMO algorithm can effectively optimize the THD value of the output voltage of CHB-MLI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, total of 32 ante-mortem (AM) samples (saliva = 18 and corneal smears = 14) from six animal species (cattle = 5; camel = 1; goat = 1; horse = 1; buffalo = 4; dog = 6) and 28 post-mortem (PM) samples of domestic (cattle = 6; camel = 1; goat = 1; buffalo = 5; dog = 7) and wild animals (lion = 4, mongoose = 2; bear = 1; leopard = 1) were examined for rabies diagnosis in Gujarat, India. Direct fluorescent antibody test (dFAT) and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were applied on AM samples, whereas along with dFAT and RT-PCR, histopathological examination, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and real time PCR (qPCR) were used for PM diagnosis. Nucleotide sequencing of full nucleoprotein (N) and glycoprotein (G) genes were carried out upon representative amplicons. In AM examination, 7/18 saliva and 5/14 corneal impressions samples were found positive in dFAT and 8/18 saliva samples were found positive in RT-PCR. In PM examination, 14/28 samples showed positive results in dFAT and IHC with unusual large fluorescent foci in two samples. In histopathology, 11/28 samples showed appreciable lesion and Negri bodies were visible in 6 samples, only. Out of 23 brain samples examined. 12 samples were found positive in N gene RT-PCR and qPCR, and 10 samples in G gene RT-PCR. Phylogenetic analysis of N gene revealed that test isolates (except sample ID: lion-1; lion, Gir) form a close group with sequence ID, KM099393.1 (Mongoose, Hyderabad) and KF660246.1 (Water Buffalo, Hyderabad) which was far from some south Indian and Sri Lankan isolates but similar to Indian isolates from rest of India and neighboring countries. In G gene analysis, the test isolates form a close group with sequence ID, KP019943.1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research introduces a novel framework that combines the dwarf mongoose optimization (DMO) algorithm with the sine–cosine algorithm (SCA) for the design of real-time linear antenna array (LAA) applications. The DMO algorithm, inspired by swarm behavior found in nature, comprises distinct groups—the alpha group, scouts, and babysitters—each utilizing unique food-capturing strategies. Linear antenna arrays are widely used in next-generation communication applications such as 5G, IoT and beamforming. However, it is challenging to achieve a narrow beamwidth while also suppressing subsidiary lobes. In this study, a novel approach is proposed to address this tradeoff successfully. Through thorough evaluations and comparisons with established strategies, the method demonstrates superior performance. It achieves the lowest subsidiary lobes and the narrowest beamwidth compared to other techniques. Moreover, the proposed framework consistently maintains optimal fitness values and offers highly efficient solutions, surpassing basic and popular optimization approaches. By optimizing excitation amplitudes and positions, the method successfully solves the narrow beamwidth limitation without sacrificing low side lobe levels (SLL). The research demonstrates that the proposed approach, combining DMO and SCA, effectively addresses the beamwidth-SLL tradeoff, making it capable of handling a wide range of LAA application requirements without compromising beamwidth or SLL. Overall, this study presents a significant advancement in LAA design, offering a novel variant of the DMO algorithm incorporating SCA, with improved performance and the potential for real-time linear antenna array applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outgroup conflict is a powerful selective force across all social taxa. While it is well documented that individual outgroup contests can have a range of direct and indirect fitness consequences, the cumulative pressure of outgroup threats could also potentially impact reproductive success. Here, we use long-term life-history data from a wild population of dwarf mongooses (Helogale parvula) to investigate how intergroup interaction (IGI) rate might influence breeding and offspring survival. IGI rate did not predict the number of litters produced in a season or the inter-litter interval. Unexpectedly, IGI rate was positively associated with the number of pups alive three months after emergence from the breeding burrow. This was not due to a difference in how many pups emerged but because those in groups experiencing more IGIs had a higher survival likelihood post-emergence. Detailed natural observations revealed that both IGI occurrence and the threat of intergroup conflict led to more sentinel behaviour by adults, probably reducing the predation risk to young. Our results contrast the previously documented negative effects of outgroup interactions on reproductive success and highlight the need to assess cumulative threat, rather than just the impact of physical contests, when considering outgroup conflict as a social driver of fitness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problem‐solving and innovation have been studied extensively, yet urban animals are overlooked despite opportunities to innovate in urban areas. We studied problem‐solving in yellow mongooses (Cynictis penicillata) in an urban setting. Using novel puzzle box experiments, we investigated whether yellow mongooses could solve a task of increasing complexity in three locations with varying extents of anthropogenic interactions. Mongooses in a residential ecological estate took the longest time to solve the problem, whereas those frequenting a residential garden solved the problem the fastest. Mongooses solved the puzzle box problem at each of the four stages of complexity, but were the fastest during the least complex first stage, followed by the third stage and requiring more time in the second and fourth stages of complexity. Overall, the location of the mongoose colonies and the complexity of the task were the main correlates of the speed of solving the problem. Urban‐living yellow mongooses can interact with novelty in an anthropogenic environment and solve novel problems through innovation to obtain a food incentive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted research to develop a safe and effective toxic bait to control the small Indian mongoose (Urva auropunctata), an invasive vertebrate predator impacting the survival of native species in Hawai'i and in other parts of the world. A preserved fish-based bait product was found to be highly palatable to mongooses in cage trials and subsequent formulations with diphacinone (0.005%) showed promise as an efficacious toxic bait for mongooses. This product is intended for future use to control mongooses in conservation and urban areas, and as a biosecurity tool at ports of entry to address accidental introductions into mongoose-free areas. Anticipated delivery of this toxic bait is in tamper-proof bait stations. We designed three prototype bait stations constructed with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) drainage pipes and evaluated their performance in enclosure trials with wild-caught mongooses and in field trials with free-ranging mongooses. A commercially available tamper-resistant rodenticide bait station was also used for comparison to the prototypes in our trials. The goal was to develop a bait station that is readily used by mongooses, allows for bait consumption in place, prevents removal of bait, and restricts access to nontarget animals. We used a non-toxic formulation of the fish-based bait product and monitored bait station use, visitation rates, bait uptake, and spillage. All four bait station types were used by mongooses in the laboratory, and one PVC bait station design and the commercial bait station exhibited multiple mongoose visitations with minimal bait spillage in the field. We did not record any significant nontarget species interactions with the bait during the field trials. The PVC bait station design and commercial bait station are approved methods of bait delivery in the subsequent field efficacy trials under an Experimental Use Permit for the upcoming registration of "Fish-based Bait for Mongooses" with the Environmental Protection Agency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon) is considered a generalist and opportunistic predator whose European distribution is restricted to Iberia. However, all the previous studies on the Egyptian mongoose's diet in the Iberian Peninsula have been performed in Portugal and Doñana National Park (southwestern Spain), covering a small region of the species' current distribution. To improve the knowledge on the trophic ecology of the species, we estimated the feeding habits of the Egyptian mongoose in central Spain, its north-eastern range edge. Our study was based on the analysis of (1) scats (n = 251) and (2) stomach contents (n = 32); samples were collected between 2018 and 2022. We calculated the relative frequency of occurrence (%RFO) and the percentage consumed biomass (%CB) for 12 food groups across central Spain and we assessed site-seasonal variations in diet composition in three study areas. We also estimated rabbit densities in the three study areas to assess the effect of rabbit abundance on mongoose diets. Overall, our results showed that European rabbits were the group with highest %CB (30.7%) in the diet of the Egyptian mongoose, followed by reptiles (19.9%) and small mammals (19.9%). In the intensively studied areas, the %CB of rabbits was the highest in the area with the highest abundance of this prey, whereas reptiles had the highest %CB in the area with the lowest availability of rabbits. Diet diversity (Shannon index) varied between 1.73 and 2.47 in those areas and was inversely related to the availability of rabbits. Our results confirm the dietary flexibility of this predator that adapts its diet to the relative availability of different prey species in different habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Small Indian Mongoose Urva auropunctata (Hodgson 1836) is a small carnivore native to Iraq and South Asia; however, it has been widely introduced worldwide. The species has never been reported in Syria; however, it was suspected to occur in the extreme eastern parts of the country, but no confirmed records were made. In 2021–2022, several sightings were notified during in situ surveys in Deir ez-Zor Province in eastern Syria which confirm the first occurrence of the Small Indian Mongoose in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conservation of mammals in human-dominated landscapes requires essential information on their ecological aspects. We used camera traps to assess the wild mammal assemblage, their relative abundance, and activity patterns in the human-dominated landscape of Vansda taluka, Gujarat, India. We deployed 80 camera traps in square grids of 2 km2 resulting in an area coverage of 160 km2. To assess the mammal assemblage, relative abundance of species, and activity pattern, respectively, we used a count of species, relative abundance index (RAI), and circular statistics. We captured 13 mammals, including the wild pig, Indian hare, leopard, rhesus macaque, common grey mongoose, small Indian civet, common palm civet, Indian crested porcupine, hanuman langur, chital, barking deer, striped hyena, and jungle cat. The wild pig was the most abundant (RAI = 10.29), while the jungle cat was the least abundant (RAI = 0.04) species. Hanuman langur, rhesus macaque, and chital showed diurnal activity, while striped hyena, barking deer, small Indian civet, common palm civet, and Indian crested porcupine showed nocturnal activity. Leopard, wild pig, common grey mongoose, and Indian hare showed cathemeral activity pattern. The present study serves as a baseline for future studies and help formulate conservation strategies for wild mammals in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social instability frequently arises in group-living species, but the potential costs have rarely been investigated in free-living cooperative breeders, especially across different timeframes. Using natural observations, body mass measurements and life-history data from dwarf mongooses (Helogale parvula), we determined the short- and long-term consequences of a change in one of the dominant breeding pairs. We found that a new breeder led to alterations in both collective and individual behaviours (i.e. increases in communal scent-marking, engagement in intergroup interactions, sentinel activity and within-group grooming), as well as reduced body mass gain, further demographic changes and decreased reproductive success (i.e. fewer pups surviving to adulthood). The effects were particularly apparent when it was the female breeder who changed; new female breeders were younger than more experienced counterparts. Our findings support the idea that stability and cooperation are strongly linked and provide potential reasons for previously documented health and fitness benefits of social stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new Enhanced Dwarf Mongoose Optimization Algorithm (EDMOA) with an alpha-directed Learning Strategy (LS) for dealing with different mathematical benchmarking functions and engineering challenges. The DMOA's core concept is inspired by the dwarf mongoose's foraging behavior. The suggested algorithm employs three DM social categories: the alpha group, babysitters, and scouts. The family forages as a team, with the alpha female initiating foraging and determining the foraging course, distance traversed, and sleeping mounds. An enhanced LS is included in the novel proposed algorithm to improve the searching capabilities, and its updating process is partially guided by the updated alpha. In this paper, the proposed EDMOA and DMOA were tested on seven unimodal and six multimodal benchmarking tasks. Additionally, the proposed EDMOA was compared against the traditional DMOA for the CEC 2017 single-objective optimization benchmarks. Moreover, their application validity was conducted for an important engineering optimization problem regarding optimal dispatch of combined power and heat. For all applications, the proposed EDMOA and DMOA were compared to several recent and well-known algorithms. The simulation results show that the suggested DMOA outperforms not only the regular DMOA but also numerous other recent strategies in terms of effectiveness and efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dietary study of carnivores has garnered a great deal of attention for a very long time since it provides information for comprehending ecological processes and tracking the economic effects of animals on food production. Few studies reported alternative prey that is detrimental to food production, such as rodents and insects, in addition to the numerous studies on livestock predation. Therefore, this study aims to provide information on the diet composition and overlap of two mesocarnivore species, Javan mongoose (Urva javanica) and leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis), in Java, Indonesia. The macroscopic observation technique was applied for identifying food remnants found in the 90 feces of the mongoose and 100 feces of the cat collected in 2018. Twenty three and 21 taxa of prey were found in the leopard and Javan mongoose feces. Rodentia was the most frequent taxa found in the feces of both species, followed by Galliformes. Insects comprised the majority of diet items but at low frequencies. Two mesocarnivores were specialists (Levin’s index of leopard cat: 0.08; Javan mongoose: 0.26) with fairly high diet overlap (Pianka’s index = 0.78). The results provided compelling evidence of the positive and negative impacts of mesocarnivores on food production in Java. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parameters identification of Electric Power Transformer (EPT) models is significant for the steady and consistent operation of the power systems. The nonlinear and multimodal natures of EPT models make it challenging to optimally estimate the EPT's parameters. Therefore, this work presents an improved Dwarf Mongoose Optimization Algorithm (IDMOA) to identify unknown parameters of the EPT model (1-phase transformer) and to appraise transformer aging trend under hottest temperatures. The IDMOA employs a population of solutions to get as much information as possible within the search space through generating different solution' vectors. Furthermore, the Nelder–Mead Simplex method is incorporated to efficiently promote the neighborhood searching with the aim to find a high-quality solution during the iterative process. At initial stage, power transformer electrical equivalent extraction parameters are expressed in terms of the fitness function and its corresponding operating inequality restrictions. In this sense, the sum of absolute errors (SAEs) among numerous factors from nameplate data of transformers is to be minimized. The proposed IDMOA is demonstrated on two transformer ratings as 4 kVA and 15 kVA, respectively. Moreover, the outcomes of the IDMOA are compared with other recent challenging optimization methods. It can be realized that the lowest minimum values of SAEs compared to the others which are 3.3512e−2 and 1.1200e−5 for 15 kVA and 4 kVA cases, respectively. For more assessment for the proposed optimizer, the extracted parameters are utilized to evaluate the transformer aging considering the transformer hottest temperature compared with effect of the actual parameters following the IEEE Std C57.91 procedures. It is proved that the results are guaranteed, and the transformer per unit nominal life is 1.00 at less than 110 °C as per the later-mentioned standard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five myrmecophagous mammal species occur sympatrically over large parts of southern Africa. Of these, the diets of four species have been studied in sufficient detail to facilitate interspecific comparisons. The diets of the aardvark Orycteropus afer, aardwolf Proteles cristatus, bat-eared fox Otocyon megalotis and Temminck's pangolin Smutsia temminckii were compared based on the overall prey categories utilised and the proportion of each prey category in their diets, while Meller's mongoose Rhynchogale melleri had too few data to be assessed. Bat-eared fox fed on the greatest number of prey categories (n = 116) and had the greatest dietary niche breadth (4.71), while aardwolf utilised the fewest prey categories (n = 28) and had the lowest dietary niche breadth (1.19) when analysing the proportion of each prey category in the diet at the genus level. Temminck's pangolin was the only species that was observed to feed exclusively on ants and termites. The diets of Temminck's pangolin and aardvark showed a moderate degree of overlap (dietary niche breadth 0.49–0.57), but overlap was low between all other species pairs (0.01–0.26) when analysing the proportion of each prey item in the diet at the genus level. The results suggest that these myrmecophages have low to moderate dietary overlap, which combined with the high abundance of ants and termites and differences in their feeding ecologies, likely reduces interspecific competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium bovis and other related mycobacteria has been reported in a wide range of mammals worldwide. In the case of the Herpestidae family, Mycobacterium mungi and M. bovis, both belonging to the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex, have been reported in banded mongooses (Mungos mungo) in Africa and in Egyptian mongooses (Herpestes ichneumon) in Portugal, respectively. Thus, we hypothesized that Tuberculosis may occur in Egyptian mongooses from Spain. Twenty‐five found dead Egyptian mongooses were necropsied in order to detect macroscopic TB‐compatible lesions and mandibular lymph nodes and lungs were cultured onto mycobacteria‐specific growth media. We isolated M. bovis in 3/25 Egyptian mongooses (12.00%, IC95: 4.17–29.96%) and identified spoligotypes SB0121 (2/3) and SB0134 (1). No macroscopic TB‐compatible lesions were observed. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of M. bovis in Egyptian mongoose in Spain, as well as the only study that includes spolygotyping in this species. Although the absence of visible lesions suggests a minor role of the Egyptian mongoose in Tuberculosis epidemiology, further research thereon is encouraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public surveys can be valuable tools to collect information on wildlife distribution. Our objective was to improve the knowledge on the distribution and expanding areas of the Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon) in central Spain by using an on‐line questionnaire to hunters. We assessed the reliability of information that hunters provided by comparing it with reports from wildlife professionals. Our results show a high overall congruence but significantly different information provided by hunters and professionals on the distribution of the Egyptian mongoose, suggesting that both sources provide unique data for the management of non‐game species. For example, hunters reported greater mongoose presence than professionals in areas to the east of Toledo and Ciudad Real provinces, for the whole distribution and core area of the species, suggesting that hunters could help to detect other areas where the species exists. Overall, our findings stress the importance of engaging hunters in wildlife conservation, as they can share valuable information on wildlife species, including those that are not hunted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mongooses are small carnivores residing in different regions of Asia. The Indian grey mongoose (Herpestes edwardsii) is one of the species mostly found in Iran. The skull gives the head of animal species' phylogenetic appearance and protects vital organs such as the brain and eyes. Our study aimed to enrich the current data pool by providing a morphological and morphometric description of the Indian grey mongoose's skull, mandible and hyoid apparatus. The present work was conducted on ten skulls and mandibles of the mongoose to describe the skull's anatomy and mandible grossly and radiographically. The radiographic characteristics of the Indian grey mongoose skull and mandible were demonstrated in lateral and dorsoventral projections. They were studied anatomically, and the measurements of morphometric characteristics were performed. Unpaired t‐tests were used to investigate the sexual dimorphism regarding skull measurements between sexes. This study showed that the neuro‐cranium area was extensive in the Indian grey mongoose skull, and the orbit was utterly bony. The presence of a two‐part tympanic bulla and the absence of a distinct jugular process are also significant. In terms of the morphometric characteristics, there were significant differences between males and females, especially in the total length of the skull. Morphologically, the anatomy of the skull, mandible and hyoid apparatus is similar in male and female mongooses and follows the species' behavioural and nutritional characteristics. Some of these characteristics are different from other carnivores, especially dogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The block Cimmino method is successfully used for the parallel solution of large linear systems of equations due to its amenability to parallel processing. Since the convergence rate of block Cimmino depends on the orthogonality between the row blocks, advanced partitioning methods are used for faster convergence. In this work, we propose a new partitioning method that is superior to the state-of-the-art partitioning method, GRIP, in several ways. Firstly, our proposed method exploits the Mongoose partitioning library which can outperform the state-of-the-art methods by combining the advantages of classical combinatoric methods and continuous quadratic programming formulations. Secondly, the proposed method works on the numerical values in a floating-point format directly without converting them to integer format as in GRIP. This brings an additional advantage of obtaining higher quality partitionings via better representation of numerical values. Furthermore, the preprocessing time is also improved since there is no overhead in converting numerical values to integer format. Finally, we extend the Mongoose library, which originally partitions graphs into only two parts, by using the recursive bisection paradigm to partition graphs into more than two parts. Extensive experiments conducted on both shared and distributed memory architectures demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method for solving different types of real-world problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine the concentrations of 28 elements in the liver, kidney, muscle, and heart of a small Indian mongoose from Montenegro. Element concentrations were determined using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Significant differences in elemental concentrations between analyzed tissues were observed for Ag, Al, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, P, S, Se, and Zn. The concentrations of Ag, Fe, Mo, and S were significantly different between all analyzed tissues. Muscle tissue is characterised by higher concentrations of some macroelements (K, Mg, S) and liver tissue by higher concentrations of some trace elements (Fe, Mn, Mo, and Zn). Cardiac tissue could be the target organ for bioaccumulation of Ag and Se. The molar ratio Se:Hg was higher than 1 in all studied tissues. There were few significant differences between element concentrations in mongooses from three analyzed (Airport, Saline, Inland) groups. Significantly higher concentrations of Ag and Se were found in liver tissue of Inland mongooses compared to animals from Airport and Saline. There were few significant differences (Zn in liver and muscle, Fe in muscle) in element concentrations between females and males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automated video surveillance systems (AVSs) have recently become vital for ensuring public safety, particularly at events with huge audiences like sporting events. Machine (ML) and deep learning (DL) open the way for computers to think like humans even further by including training and learning components, which artificial intelligence (AI) already provides. In order to evaluate and make sense of surveillance data acquired by fixed or mobile cameras mounted indoors or outdoors, DL algorithms require data labelling and high-performance processors. Recent advances in generative adversarial networks (GANs) for image synthesis and creation in VSSs have made it a hot topic in the field of study to establish if a given input is typical or atypical. Therefore, this research presents a better GAN network to recognise human gaits and to distinguish between human actions that are normal and pathological in VSSs. To achieve this goal, we first combine global and local features to enhance learning in crucial local regions that include multiple key points. Two, we use metric learning to pull out shared and unique characteristics. After features have been retrieved, they are used as input by the classification module in order to identify GAN-generated pictures. DMO is used in this study to perform hyper-parameter optimization (HPO) in GAN, which provides significant metaheuristic balance between the survey and misuse phases. The suggested model outperformed the existing model on all three datasets (CASIA-A, B, and C) used in the validation process. The proposed model had an accuracy of 98.48%on the A dataset and 99.87% on the B dataset, whereas the previous model had an accuracy of almost 94% on both datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A gradient-based optimizer (GBO) is a recently inspired meta-heuristic technique centered on Newton's gradient-based approach. In this paper, an advanced developed version of the GBO is merged with a crossover operator (GBOC) to enhance the diversity of the created solutions. The merged crossover operator causes the solutions in the next generation to be more random. The proposed GBOC maintains the original Gradient Search Rule (GSR) and Local Escaping Operator (LEO). The GSR directs the search to potential areas and aids in its convergence to the optimal answer, while the LEO aids the searching process in avoiding local optima. The proposed GBOC technique is employed to optimally place and size the distribution static VAR compensator (D-SVC), one of the distribution flexible AC transmission devices (D-FACTS). It is developed to maximize the yearly energy savings via power losses concerning simultaneously different levels of the peak, average, and light loadings. Its relevance is tested on three distribution systems of IEEE 33, 69, and 118 nodes. Based on the proposed GBOC, the outputs of the D-SVCs are optimally varying with the loading level. Furthermore, their installed ratings are handled as an additional constraint relating to two compensation levels of 50% and 75% of the total reactive power load to reflect a financial installation limit. The simulation applications of the proposed GBOC declare great economic savings in yearly energy losses for the three distribution systems with increasing compensation levels and iterations compared to the initial case. In addition, the effectiveness of the proposed GBOC is demonstrated compared to several techniques, such as the original GBO, the salp swarm algorithm, the dwarf mongoose algorithm, differential evolution, and honey badger optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The source and significance of pulmonary silicate crystals in animals and people are poorly understood. To estimate the prevalence and characterize the pulmonary crystalline material in animals from St. Kitts, tissue samples from dogs, horses, cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, mongooses, and monkeys were examined by light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive x-ray analysis (SEM/EDXA), and x-ray diffraction. Crystalline material was seen in 201 of 259 (77.6%) lung samples as perivascular and interstitial accumulations of heterogeneous crystalline particulate material, free or within macrophages (silicate-laden macrophages [SLMs]), mostly lacking evidence of chronic inflammation or fibrosis. The crystalline material was birefringent, basophilic on acid-fast, and composed of silicas on SEM/EDXA. Mongooses (100%) and monkeys (98%) had the highest prevalence of SLM, followed by cattle and chickens. Lesions were graded on a 3-point scale based on the histologic location and extent of silicates and SLM and were significantly more severe in mongooses (median = 3) than in monkeys (median = 2), dogs (median = 2), and chickens (median = 1). On EDXA, the crystalline material from lungs, air, and topsoil was composed of silicon, oxygen, aluminum, and iron, with a particulate matter size between 2.5 and 10 µm. We hypothesize Saharan dust, volcanic ash, topsoil, and rock quarry dust are potential sources of siliceous dust inhalation and SLM accumulations lacking chronic inflammation (silicosis); dust generation may be potentiated by road vehicle or wind suspension. Future investigations are warranted on the role of silicate inhalation and respiratory comorbidities in people, with monkeys, mongooses, or chickens serving as possible sentinels for exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phylogeographies of African mammals reveal patterns that correlate with Pleistocene environmental fluctuations and geographical barriers, which may affect species differently according to their habitat preferences and dispersal capabilities. The marsh mongoose Atilax paludinosus, a widely distributed African carnivoran, is a good model to compare with other African mammals. Here, we aimed to determine if its phylogeographical patterns depend on habitat preferences or other factors, such as dispersal capabilities. One nuclear and two mitochondrial markers were sequenced for marsh mongooses sampled throughout the species range, and sequences were also analysed for another widely distributed African mongoose, the white-tailed mongoose Ichneumia albicauda, previously studied, but more completely for this study. In the marsh mongoose we observed a deep divergence between West + Central Africa and East + South Africa, a pattern also observed in both forest and savanna mammals. With good dispersal capabilities and a preference for riparian habitats, the marsh mongoose may have been confined to forest refugia during Quaternary dry periods and may have used rivers as dispersal corridors. In contrast, in the white-tailed mongoose, the haplogroups were strongly divergent which may indicate more limited dispersal capabilities, but also reflect the preference of this species for more open habitats. These results suggest that life history traits, in addition to habitat preferences, had an impact on how these species were affected by past environmental changes, which is reflected in the geographical genetic structure today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical forests face an alarming rate of loss driven by anthropogenic pressures, exposing forest-dwelling species such as primates to extinction risks. Assessing population density and habitat selection by these species can provide insights into how they respond to habitat fragmentation and inform effective conservation. We investigated the population density and size of the mongoose lemur (Eulemur mongoz), a Critically Endangered primate species from Madagascar and the Comoro Islands using (1) conventional distance sampling, and (2) density surface modeling. We also used species distribution modeling to assess the habitat suitability and geographic distribution of the species in the two regions. We conducted surveys in Anjouan and Moheli, Comoros Islands (October–December 2017, February–April 2018 and May–July 2019), and Northwest Madagascar (October and December 2012). We estimated a mean population density of 23.49 individuals/km2 along 89.90 km of line transects for the Comoros population, and 15.23 individuals/km2 along 65 km of transects for the Madagascar population. We estimated a population size of 9128 individuals in Comoros and 7270 individuals in Madagascar. According to our species distribution model, mongoose lemurs have a relatively large geographic range in Comoros (336 km2, ~47% of the total area of Anjouan and Moheli, which is 714 km2) extending over low-elevation farmlands and in forests, while the Madagascar population is restricted to the remaining natural forests (3160 km2, ~17.5% of the total area studied, which is 18,000 km2). However, high levels of hunting (Madagascar only), habitat disturbance, and conversion of natural forest into agricultural lands render the species critically endangered to extinction. As population density and the distribution of primates are highly related to the habitat quality and vegetation availability and since the high level of habitat disturbance and lemur hunting (in Madagascar) are associated with high levels of poverty, we suggest (1) enhancing livelihoods and well-being of rural communities, which will allow them to be less dependent on natural resources and reduce unsustainable natural resource use, (2) involving a broad community of local individuals and entities in conservation and management, and (3) restoring forests and avoiding the conversion of secondary forest into agricultural lands. Our findings highlight how population density and distribution patterns are related to environmental factors. They also emphasize how species distribution modeling approaches are useful for primate conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The status and ecology of small carnivores on Java is poorly documented. We conducted a camera trapping survey in the Wonorejo Mangroves, a coastal wetland east of the city of Surabaya in north-eastern Java. This survey yielded photographs of the small Indian civet Viverricula indica, Javan mongoose Urva javanica, Sunda leopard cat Prionailurus javanensis, Asian small-clawed otter Aonyx cinereus, and Sunda palm civet Paradoxurus musangus. They all used dykes between aquaculture ponds to forage and move between vegetation patches, but at different times and frequencies. We strongly recommend surveying the remaining wetlands on Java to acquire baseline data on the status and conservation needs of small carnivores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over 84% of the river ecosystems in South Africa are threatened and, accordingly freshwater dependent species such as the Cape clawless otter (Aonyx capensis) and the water mongoose (Atilax paludinosus) are also declining in numbers. These species share a similar diet and habitat preference and in certain places in South Africa it is known that they occur in sympatry. Our study focused on a pristine river system in the far western Soutpansberg where little is known about the local distribution and habitat preferences of these species. To determine the distribution and fine scale habitat preferences of otters and water mongooses, tracks and signs (TS) and camera traps were used, and spraint content analysed to establish differences in diet. Based on the TS that were found, the Cape clawless otter and water mongoose are both widely distributed along the river system and mostly occur separate from each other. The observed amount of TS of Cape clawless otters was higher in areas with pools, rocky riverbanks and areas with a stream width of 2 - >5 m in diameter. The number of water mongoose TS recorded was higher in wetland areas with leafy riverbanks and areas with a stream width of up to 2 m. We suggest that Cape clawless otters and water mongooses may avoid direct competition by habitat partitioning in the western Soutpansberg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]