Estimating animal abundance and density are fundamental goals of many wildlife monitoring programs. Camera trapping has become an increasingly popular tool to achieve these monitoring goals due to recent advances in modeling approaches and the capacity to simultaneously collect data on multiple species. However, estimating the density of unmarked populations continues to be problematic due to the difficulty in implementing complex modeling approaches, low precision of estimates, and absence of rigor in testing of model assumptions and their influence on results. Here, we describe a novel approach that uses still image camera traps to estimate animal density without the need for individual identification, based on the time spent in front of the camera (TIFC). Using results from a large-scale multispecies monitoring program with nearly 3000 cameras deployed over 6 years in Alberta, Canada, we provide a reproducible methodology to estimate parameters and we test key assumptions of the TIFC model. We compare moose (Alces alces) density estimates from aerial surveys and TIFC, including incorporating correction factors for known TIFC assumption violations. The resulting corrected TIFC density estimates are comparable to aerial density estimates. We discuss the limitations of the TIFC method and areas needing further investigation, including the need for long-term monitoring of assumption violations and the number of cameras necessary to provide precise estimates. Despite the challenges of assumption violations and high measurement error, cameras and the TIFC method can provide useful alternative or complementary animal density estimates for multispecies monitoring when compared to traditional monitoring methods.

Understanding how landscape change influences the distribution and densities of species, and the consequences of these changes, is a central question in modern ecology. The distribution of white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) is expanding across North America, and in some areas, this pattern has led to an increase in predators and consequently higher predation rates on woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou)—an alternate prey species that is declining across western Canada. Understanding the factors influencing deer distribution has therefore become important for effective conservation of caribou in Canada. Changing climate and anthropogenic landscape alteration are hypothesized to facilitate white‐tailed deer expansion. Yet, climate and habitat alteration are spatiotemporally correlated, making these factors difficult to isolate. Our study evaluates the relative effects of snow conditions and human‐modified habitat (habitat alteration) across space on white‐tailed deer presence and relative density. We modeled deer response to snow depth and anthropogenic habitat alteration across a large latitudinal gradient (49° to 60°) in Alberta, Canada, using motion‐sensitive camera data collected in winter and spring from 2015 to 2019. Deer distribution in winter and spring were best explained by models including both snow depth and habitat alteration. Sites with shallower snow had higher deer presence regardless of latitude. Increased habitat alteration increased deer presence in the northern portion of the study area only. Winter deer density was best explained by snow depth only, whereas spring density was best explained by both habitat alteration and the previous winter's snow depth. Our results suggest that limiting future habitat alteration or restoring habitat can alter deer distribution, thereby potentially slowing or reversing expansion, but that climate plays a significant role beyond what managers can influence. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.

Home-monitoring technologies were well-accepted by our participants. The information content of the data still needs to be evaluated with regard to clinical outcome parameters as well as the effect on the quality of life before recommending large-scale implementations.

Many societies across the world are confronted with demographic changes, usually related to increased life expectancy and, often, relatively low birth rates. Information and communication technologies (ICT) may contribute to adequately support senior citizens in aging societies with respect to quality of life and quality and efficiency of health care processes. For investigating and for providing answers on whether new information and communication technologies can contribute to keeping, or even improving quality of life, health and self-sufficiency in ageing societies through new ways of living and new forms of care, the Lower Saxony Research Network Design of Environments for Ageing (GAL) had been established as a five years research project, running from 2008 to 2013. Ambient-assisted living (AAL) technologies in personal and home environments were especially important. In this article we report on the GAL project, and present some of its major outcomes after five years of research. We report on major challenges and lessons learned in running and organizing such a large, inter- and multidisciplinary project and discuss GAL in the context of related research projects. With respect to research outcomes, we have, for example, learned new knowledge about multimodal and speech-based human-machine-interaction mechanisms for persons with functional restrictions, and identified new methods and developed new algorithms for identifying activities of daily life and detecting acute events, particularly falls. A total of 79 apartments of senior citizens had been equipped with specific "GAL technology", providing new insights into the use of sensor data for smart homes. Major challenges we had to face were to deal constructively with GAL's highly inter- and multidisciplinary aspects, with respect to research into GAL's application scenarios, shifting from theory and lab experimentation to field tests, and the complexity of organizing and, in our view, successfully managing such a large project. Overall it can be stated that, from our point of view, the GAL research network has been run successfully and has achieved its major research objectives. Since we now know much more on how and where to use AAL technologies for new environments of living and new forms of care, a future focus for research can now be outlined for systematically planned studies, scientifically exploring the benefits of AAL technologies for senior citizens, in particular with respect to quality of life and the quality and efficiency of health care.

Merely environmental data were used and no wearable sensor for activity detection or vital parameter measurement is taken into account. Therefore, this cannot comprehensively reflect reality.

Decision support systems (DSSs) which are able to automatically supervise and control physical exercise training of patients affected by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are regarded as a novel method to promote rehabilitation. The objective of our research work for this paper was to evaluate the feasibility of a rule-based DSS for autonomous bicycle ergometer training of COPD patients. Load control is based on real-time analysis of sensor parameters oxygen saturation and heart rate. Ten COPD patients have participated in a study, performing altogether 18 training sessions. On average, 7.4 rules were fired in each training session. Four sessions had to be stopped for different reasons. The average ergometer training load ranged between 31 and 47 W. The average percentage of heart rate in or lower than the intended target zone was 45.9 and 41.6%, respectively. The average patient-perceived Borg value was 12.6±2.4. Patients reported a high satisfaction for the automatically controlled training. With the help of the DSS, patients may change their training place from a rehabilitation center to their own homes. More studies are needed to assess long-term clinical and motivational effects of the DSS in home environment.

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A survey of Alberta beef producers was conducted at sites overlapping with a province-wide network of permanent biodiversity monitoring plots to characterize focal pastures and their management, including estimates of stocking rates. Overall, greater stocking rates were reported in the boreal compared with the parkland and grassland natural regions, coinciding with an increased reliance on tame forage on relatively small land areas of largely deeded land. Higher stocking rates were also associated with earlier starting dates of grazing in the season, higher mean annual precipitation, and lower mean annual temperature.