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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]

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 two-year epic of sending a sculpture by Jeff Koons to the Moon on an expedition aboard the Odysseus spaceship is almost over: the module with the world's first authorized public sculpture on the surface of another extraterrestrial body of the Solar System made a landing but overturned, entering the phase of hibernation. It is not yet clear whether and when it will be possible to directly land the sculpture on the surface of the Earth's satellite. However, despite the obstacles of its inhospitable field conditions, the project has, in addition to the orbital conquistador mission, two other functional parts that are quite effective: ground collection consisting of approximated elements of the object, which are advertised in media, and digital NFT site-specific sculpture. Expert analysis of the available information allowed us to state another recycling of the sculptural ideas of the 1960s-1970s, known in art history under the definition of "postminimalism" or "systemic art," which were associated with the "Art in Public Place" programs of the National Council on Arts and the NASA-compatible program "Space City. USA." Therefore, a much talked-about breakthrough into new horizons of quasi-modern plastic art has not taken place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This theoretical work discusses the relationships between concept formation and the activities that sustain it. In particular, we highlight the teaching-learning processes in everyday and school activities. Following the Vygotskian perspective, these two learning contexts are described by employing the categories of volition and conscious awareness of the subjects in the teaching-learning activity. Moreover, we advance this perspective by proposing another two categories - supervision and institutionalization - to make justice to the activity’s characteristics rather than the mental processes of the subjects who participate in them. The discussion is exemplified through episodes in which the concept of the Moon is elaborated in human activities (in the wild) and then as it appears in school activity (domestication). Finally, we relate such dichotomy between wild and domestication through the school encapsulation and analise a learning sequence that aims to enrich school practices by and articulation between everyday and school contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eurasian beavers Castor fiber are important ecosystem engineers, able to modify freshwater environments and influence local biodiversity. Beaver activity affects not only aquatic ecosystems but also terrestrial habitats and organisms. In recent times, beaver populations have been detected in Central Italy. In this work, we determined the use of beaver lodges and dams by native animal species in Central Italy through intensive camera trapping between March 2021 and May 2022. Saproxylic beetles were searched by sight in spring and summer on lodges, dams, and gnawed trunks on river shorelines. We collected 132 records belonging to at least 17 species on beaver dams and lodges, several of them of conservation concern (e.g. the European bittern Botaurus stellaris and the endemic water vole Arvicola italicus). The most detected species within beaver structure was the yellow-necked field mouse Apodemus flavicollis, with 67 independent videos. Despite being confirmed as a nocturnal species, in our study area, A. flavicollis showed an activity peak on bright moonlight nights. The lodge may thus be used as a protection site from predation risk for small rodents, which may benefit from the beaver presence. By building dams and lodges, Eurasian beavers can increase habitat heterogeneity, thus promoting biodiversity increase and improvement. The potential expansion of beaver populations into these ecosystems may serve as a biotic restoration strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children are very curious about the world around them. You may find them peering at tadpoles in a pond, counting ants on a log, or wondering about the stars, the sun, and the moon. I have been asked many times: Is the moon really made of cheese? Do astronauts live on the moon? Why does the moon look different every time I look up? Introducing young learners to our universe, beyond what their eyes can see, is a powerful teaching moment that primary teachers like myself get the pleasure to experience. Fostering students' early curiosities regarding our universe is one of the first steps to opening their minds to the vision of endless possibilities. Making observations, asking questions, and recognizing patterns are a few of the initial skills a young science learner should be encouraged to practice. In this particular unit, first grade students make observations of the sky including the differences in features and apparent movement of celestial objects. This unit and the featured lesson emphasize the use of students' prior knowledge and observations of the sky and identifying patterns to predict and infer how the moon changes during the lunar cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: We investigated the influence of the lunar cycle on bluefin tuna prey composition in the Strait of Messina by stomach content analysis. We tested if the lunar phases could determine changes in mesopelagic prey composition and abundance. Moreover, we considered two potential impacts of the lunar cycle: the lunar irradiance and the strength of currents. These factors could affect availability of mesopelagic prey in upper waters of the study area. Mesopelagic fish and cephalopod prey were 60.7% of overall diet by number. In summary, the Strait of Messina has highly specific hydrodynamic and biological features which strongly depend on upwelling currents, which in turn are influenced by the lunar cycle (new and full moon with strong currents, quarters with fewer currents). Upwelling causes water mixing, bringing to the surface a large amount of mesopelagic fauna which become more readily available to tuna. Lunar irradiance contributes to the variation of prey composition, increasing the success of visual predation on mesopelagic resources at high light in the water column. The influence of the lunar cycle on bluefin tuna foraging in the upwelling area of the Strait of Messina was investigated by exploring trophic interaction with mesopelagic fish and cephalopod prey. To focus on how the lunar cycle could affect availability of mesopelagic prey for this predator, we tested potential differences in the diet related to each lunar phase. Moreover, we considered two potential impacts of the lunar cycle: the lunar irradiance and the strength of currents. Overall, 2672 prey items were mesopelagic fish and cephalopods, representing 60.7% of overall diet by number. The main mesopelagic fish prey items were lanternfishes and dragonfishes, while Onychoteuthis banksii was the most important cephalopod prey. In summary, the Strait of Messina has highly specific hydrodynamic and biological features which strongly depend on upwelling currents, which in turn are influenced by the lunar cycle (new and full moon with strong currents, quarters with fewer currents). Upwelling causes water mixing, bringing to the surface a large amount of mesopelagic fauna which become more readily available to tuna. Lunar irradiance contributes to the variation of prey composition, increasing the success of visual predation on mesopelagic resources at high light in the water column. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The history recorded moon as the most inspiring object in the sky, but it combined with visibility issues to study the phases. This research paper proposes a novel algorithm named Sunfa Ata Zuyan (SAZ), which is meant to extend the shape detection algorithms to aim for lunar phase deceleration and overcome the difficulties encountered by the previous methods to find the moon and determine its phase. The paper sets to investigate two aims. First, propose the add-on algorithm SAZ to determine the lunar phase's data faster. Secondly, evaluate the Raspberry Pi as the main CPU due to its compact size and power as the primary processor based on the idea of a portable designed system. Then to examine the ability of the SAZ algorithm, it's combined with famous algorithms like hue, saturation and value (HSV), Canny, erosion, shape detection, and binarization has been tested on both personal computers (PC) and Raspberry Pi with the same images being compared. The results show that SAZ will help the shape detection algorithm to find the object and disclose the moon phases. Furthermore, the Raspberry Pi, functioning as a CPU, can perform as a hand-to-hand system to determine the lunar phase as a compact portable remote sensing structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cavia tschudii is a wild rodent that inhabits Andean and coastal grasslands and wetlands whose ecological aspects have been rarely studied. In this study we describe their daily activity patterns and evaluate the effect of lunar luminosity on their nocturnal activity during the 2019 wet and 2020 dry seasons in a bulrush community of a coastal wetland in Peru. Moreover, we evaluated the activity overlap of C. tschudii with the species that co-occurred with it. Using six camera trap stations and analyzing the dates and times of the recordings, we found that during both seasons C. tschudii was mainly nocturnal, the dogs were cathemeral and Rattus sp. was nocturnal. The activity of C. tschudii had a moderate overlap with the dogs and a high overlap with Rattus sp. During both seasons C. tschudii showed two peaks of activity when the lunar luminosity was 76-100 % and 1-25 %. Likewise, in the dry season, its nocturnal activity had a positive correlation with lunar luminosity. This is the first study that evaluates the daily and lunar activity patterns of C. tschudii under natural conditions. We conclude that the daily activity of C. tschudii is mostly nocturnal during both seasons, but during the dry season the nocturnal activity increases; the highest activity overlap with Rattus sp. suggests a possible competition; and the nocturnal activity of C. tschudii during the dry season suggests that it takes advantage of moonlight to improve its foraging and predator detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resumen: Objetivo: Investigar la influencia externa tanto lunar como climatológica en la frecuencia de partos. Incluye fuerza gravitacional lunar mediante apogeo y perigeo lunar apenas investigado. Material y métodos: Estudio retrospectivo mediante revisión de historias clínicas de todos los partos únicos de inicio espontáneo durante un periodo de 4 años (2015-2018). Se analiza estadísticamente la relación de los partos mediante coeficiente de nacimientos con variables cualitativas lunares (4 fases clásicas, apogeo-perigeo lunar y superlunas) y variables cuantitativas atmosféricas (presiones atmosféricas medias, temperatura media y velocidad media del viento). Resultados: No se encontró relación entre las variables estudiadas y el coeficiente de nacimientos. Se encontró periodicidad de partos con más nacimientos en los meses de mayo y junio. Conclusión: Pese al mito existente de la influencia meteorológica y, sobre todo, lunar en los partos, no se encuentra razón estadística que lo apoye. Además de las fases clásicas, la fuerza gravitacional lunar tampoco parece desencadenar el parto. Abstract: Objective: To investigate the influence of external factors such as lunar and meteorological effects on the frequency of birth deliveries. It includes the lunar gravitational force using the scarcely investigated lunar apogee and perigee (furthest and closest distance to earth, respectively). Material and methods: A retrospective study was conducted by reviewing the medical records of all spontaneous single deliveries during a 4 year period (2015-2018). A statistical analysis was performed on the relationship of the deliveries using birth rates with qualitative lunar variables (four classic phases, lunar apogee- perigee, and super moons) and quantitative atmospheric variables (mean atmospheric pressures, mean temperature, and mean wind velocity). Results: No relationship was found between the variables studied and the birth rate. There were periods with more births in the months of May and June. Conclusion: Despite the myth on the meteorological, and in particular, the lunar influence on birth deliveries, no statistical association was found to support this. Furthermore, the classic moon phases and the lunar gravitational force do not seem to trigger birth delivery either.

Introduction. The autonomic nervous system is the main regulatory mechanism of a living organism that provides homeostasis. Objective: to investigate the effect of the Moon phases on the autonomic balance of the human body, the ratio of sympathetic nervous system activity to the parasympathetic nervous system and the functional health of the population. Materials and methods. 1592 males of different age were examined with the help of functional vegetative diagnostics according to the method of V. Makats. The bioelectric activity of 12 symmetric pairs of functionally active zones of the skin (24 FAZ), 12 on the hands and 12 on the feet, which reflect the functional activity of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems were studied. Results. In the male group aged 3-6 years old, the chaotic pattern of functional dependencies is related to the physiological and functional immaturity of the adaptation processes and the speed of their formation and stabilization in the body of children. In the male group of 12-15 years old in different phases of the Moon the changes in activity indicators of functional systems with much smaller amplitude are observed, though the nature and direction of changes in activity remain similar, which indicates the stabilization of adaptation mechanisms in the body. In the male group aged 21-50 years old maximum amplitude fluctuations in the functional activity of the systems and vegetative homeostasis are observed in the new Moon and the full one, which indicates a decrease in adaptation processes associated with age-related decrease in physiological and biochemical processes in the body and the appearance of the organism in the body. Conclusions. It has been established that the change of the Moon phases leads to significant changes in the functional activity and homeostasis of the body of men of different age groups. On-phase Moon activity indicators of functional systems duplicating the norm line have the same orientation, differing in amplitude, forming age-specific features of the tone of the autonomic nervous system.

Copyright of Ondokuz Mayis University Journal of Education is the property of Ondokuz Mayis University Faculty of Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Every year, billions of birds undertake extensive migrations between breeding and non-breeding areas, facing challenges that require behavioural adjustments, particularly to flight timing and duration. Such adjustments in daily activity patterns and the influence of extrinsic factors (e.g., environmental conditions, moonlight) have received much more research attention in terrestrial than marine migrants. Taking advantage of the widespread deployment in recent decades of combined light-level geolocator-immersion loggers, we investigated diel organisation and influence of the moon on flight activities during the non-breeding season of 21 migrant seabird species from a wide taxonomic range (6 families, 3 orders). Migrant seabirds regularly stopped (to either feed or rest) during migration, unlike some terrestrial and wetland birds which fly non-stop. We found an overall increase for most seabird species in time in flight and, for several species, also in flight bout duration, during migration compared to when resident at the non-breeding grounds. Additionally, several nocturnal species spent more of the day in flight during migration than at non-breeding areas, and vice versa for diurnal species. Nocturnal time in flight tended to increase during full moon, both during migration and at the non-breeding grounds, depending on species. Our study provides an extensive overview of activity patterns of migrant seabirds, paving the way for further research on the underlying mechanisms and drivers.

The influence of the lunar cycle on bluefin tuna foraging in the upwelling area of the Strait of Messina was investigated by exploring trophic interaction with mesopelagic fish and cephalopod prey. To focus on how the lunar cycle could affect availability of mesopelagic prey for this predator, we tested potential differences in the diet related to each lunar phase. Moreover, we considered two potential impacts of the lunar cycle: the lunar irradiance and the strength of currents. Overall, 2672 prey items were mesopelagic fish and cephalopods, representing 60.7% of overall diet by number. The main mesopelagic fish prey items were lanternfishes and dragonfishes, while Onychoteuthis banksii was the most important cephalopod prey. In summary, the Strait of Messina has highly specific hydrodynamic and biological features which strongly depend on upwelling currents, which in turn are influenced by the lunar cycle (new and full moon with strong currents, quarters with fewer currents). Upwelling causes water mixing, bringing to the surface a large amount of mesopelagic fauna which become more readily available to tuna. Lunar irradiance contributes to the variation of prey composition, increasing the success of visual predation on mesopelagic resources at high light in the water column.

Background & Objective: Stroke is one of the leading causes of death. It is also one of the most important factors of long-term disability. We aimed to reveal the relationship of the lunar cycle and seasonality with stroke characteristics. Methods: Data, including the demographic characteristics of the patients, stroke types, stroke severity, etiological factors, accompanying diseases, intensive care needs, and mortality rate were evaluated, recorded, and compared according to seasonality and lunar phases. Results: The study included 538 patients. The stroke type of 468 patients was ischemic. The stroke severity of 231 patients was determined as minor. The ischemic stroke rate was higher in winter than in spring and summer. In spring, the rate of severe stroke was lower than in summer and winter. Posterior system strokes were found at a higher rate in the summer months. During the winter months, middle cerebral artery infarctions were detected more frequently. The intensive care needs of the patients were observed mostly in summer and winter in ischemic stroke patients. When the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores were compared according to season, no significant difference was found between the groups. There was also no significant difference in gender, age, stroke severity, involved arterial system, etiology, and NIHSS score according to moon phases. But the transient ischemic attack (TIA) rate was higher in the full moon than in the last quarter moon. Conclusion: Seasonal variations may affect ischemic stroke characteristics, such as type, severity and involved arterial system, but in our study, the lunar cycle was not found related to the investigated features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing carnivores and prey temporal activity patterns as well as their overlap provides valuable insights into behavioural mitigations of competition. Moon phases may also play an important role in shaping wild mammals' activity rhythms with prey showing peaks of activity in darkest nights. Camera trapping has enriched the possibility to conduct systematic studies of activity patterns and temporal niche overlap on mammalian guilds. In this study, we used camera traps to investigate intra-guild interactions and temporal partitioning among three meso-carnivores and their common prey in two Mongolian areas characterized, respectively, by a grassland and a forest–alpine meadow. We detected a moderate–high interspecific overlap in red foxes, pikas and tolai hares. We found a moderate overlap of temporal activity patterns among nocturnal carnivores as well as among nocturnal prey species. Interestingly, we observed a moderate overlap between hares and meso-carnivores. Amongst nocturnal species, the red fox and the stoat had a peak in activity in the brightest nights, the stone marten and the Mongolian silver vole preferred to range in dark nights, whereas activity of the tolai hare was not dependent on moon phases. Our work provides some first insights of temporal pattern interactions within a small- and meso-mammal assemblage in Central Asia. Our results indicate that meso-carnivores and their potential prey can co-occur in Central Mongolia by means of temporal partitioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fruit-feeding pteropodid bats roost under varying light conditions. Some roost in trees with high exposure to daylight (> 1000 lx), while others roost in dark caves (< 0.1 lx). To understand the effect of ambient light intensity and moon phase on flight activity, we examined flight times across five lunar cycles in three pteropodid species whose roosts differ in daylight exposure. We found significant interspecific differences in flight emergence and termination times. All species initiated flights after sunset but Rousettus leschenaultii, which typically roosts in caves, delayed emergence (40 ± 11 min) more than the two tree-roosting species Pteropus giganteus (16 ± 6 min) and Cynopterus sphinx (19 ± 7 min). R. leschenaultii terminated flights earlier (30 ± 7 min before sunrise) than P. giganteus (11 ± 11 min) and C. sphinx (16 ± 10 min). All individuals from P. giganteus and C. sphinx roosts emerged within less than an hour, while emergence times were more spread out in the R. leschenaultii colony. Peak emergence times differed across moon phases in the cave-roosting R. leschenaultii but not in the other species. Flight activity in R. leschenaultii is restricted to comparatively lower light levels than the tree-roosting species. The observed interspecific differences suggest that bat species, sharing same landscapes may respond differently to light pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temporal partitioning is reported as one of the main strategies adopted by coexisting mammal species to limit interspecific competition and behavioural interference. In the last decades, camera-trapping surveys have provided valuable insights in assessing temporal niche and activity rhythms of medium and large-sized mammalian species. Conversely, this method has been poorly applied to small rodents. In this work we aimed at assessing temporal niche partitioning between two species of forest-dwelling small rodents—Apodemus flavicollis and Clethrionomys glareolus—by means of intensive camera-trapping. Camera traps were placed in areas where previous genetic analyses have confirmed the only presence of A. flavicollis amongst wood mice species, to prevent misinterpretation of records. We collected 124 independent records of A. flavicollis and 67 records of C. glareolus over three years. The former was mostly nocturnal, with activity peaking after midnight, whereas the latter was mostly active at dawn and dusk. Therefore, a limited temporal overlap was observed, confirming the potential for interspecific competition. Intraguild interference competition between A. flavicollis and C. glareolus may play a pivotal role forcing C. glareolus to be more active in daylight hours where, the more strictly nocturnal A. flavicollis is present. Nocturnal activity of C. glareolus was limited and not influenced by moon phases, whereas A. flavicollis was mostly active in the darkest nights, avoiding bright moonlight nights.

Studies on activity rhythms are pivotal for the management of invasive alien species, as they provide basic insights into species basic ecology and may increase the success of control programs. The coypu Myocastor coypus, introduced from South America for fur farms, has become one of the most invasive rodents in Europe. Introduced coypus may affect crop productions, as well as natural vegetation and the breeding success of wading birds. In this study, we examined activity data collected through intensive camera-trapping in three Italian areas, including two natural areas in Northern and Central Italy, and a suburban area in Central Italy. Coypus were mostly diurnal in areas characterised by low predator pressure and, at night, they are mostly active in bright moonlight. Conversely, where predators, human pressure or numerical control programmes are present, coypus remarkably shift their behaviour towards crepuscular and night hours. In these last areas, nocturnal activity increased as moonlight decreased, possibly to reduce predation risk or encounters with humans. Where winter temperature are low, diurnal habits may have developed as a physiological adaptation and a strategy to preserve energy, potentially achieving a cost/effective thermal balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Therya is the property of Asociacion Mexicana de Mastozoologia, A. C. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract Background Approximately 11% of the German population are convinced that certain moon phases and moon signs may impact their health and the onset and clinical course of diseases. Before elective surgery, a considerable number of patients look to optimize the timing of the procedure based on the lunar cycle. Especially patients awaiting living donor kidney transplantation (LDKT) commonly look for an adjustment of the date of transplantation according to the moon calendar. This study therefore investigated the perioperative and long-term outcome of LDKT dependent on moon phases and zodiac signs. Methods Patient data were prospectively collected in a continuously updated kidney transplant database. Two hundred and seventy-eight consecutive patients who underwent LDKT between 1994 and December 2009 were selected for the study and retrospectively assigned to the four moon phases (new-moon, waxing-moon, full-moon, and waning-moon) and the corresponding zodiac sign (moon sign Libra), based on the date of transplantation. Preexisting comorbidities, perioperative mortality, surgical outcome, and long-term survival data were analyzed. Results Of all LDKT procedures, 11.9, 39.9, 11.5, and 36.5% were performed during the new, waxing, full, and waning moon, respectively, and 6.2% during the moon sign Libra, which is believed to interfere with renal surgery. Survival rates at 1, 5, and 10 years after transplantation were 98.9, 92, and 88.7% (patient survival) and 97.4, 91.6, and 80.6% (graft survival) without any differences between all groups of lunar phases and moon signs. Overall perioperative complications and early graft loss occurred in 21.2 and 1.4%, without statistical difference (p > 0.05) between groups. Conclusion Moon phases and the moon sign Libra had no impact on early and long-term outcome measures following LDKT in our study. Thus, concerns of patients awaiting LDKT regarding the ideal time of surgery can be allayed, and surgery may be scheduled independently of the lunar phases.

We present an annotated checklist of the species of Bombycidae, Saturniidae and Sphingidae collected in the Utría National Natural Park, Chocó, Colombia. We used mercury light trap for 31 days in four different habitats. We found 35 species: 19 Saturniidae, 15 Sphingidae and 1 Bombycidae. Eighteen species are recorded for the first time in the department of Chocó. These include the Chocó endemic Syssphinx chocoensis, the first specimen of Manduca dalica dalica, in a Colombian collection, and the fifth instar of Isognathus scyron. Our results agree with the lunar phobia hypothesis. This work is the first approach to the diversity of these families in the Utría National Park. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigo Rising is also directly inspired by the long walks I take... walking encouraged me to develop a more specific understanding of materiality and a slower way of generating meaning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses the question whether to what extent (if any) light-trap catch of the harmful pest, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner, 1805) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) depends on the Moon phases and the geomagnetic horizontal component (H-index). Therefore, daily relative catch data were assigned to the daily values of geomagnetic field above 0.2125−10 T (H-index). We correlated the daily catch results to the daily values of geometric H-index. The numbers of specimens caught and classified according to generation were calculated relative to catch values. Relative catch data were divided according to the Moon phase angle around the four Moon quarters. The relative daily catch data were assigned to the daily values of geomagnetic H-index. We correlated the daily catch results to the daily values of geometric H-index in four moon phases. More abundant catch corresponded to higher H-index values in the New Moon period. Approaching Full Moon led to increasing catch correlating to low H-index value, but there decreasing catch coincided with higher H-index values. There was also decreasing catch at the increasing H-index values in the First Quarter and Last Quarter period. The light trap catch of the H. armigera was seemingly influenced by both the moon phases and the horizontal component of geomagnetism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since ancient times, several authors in almost all countries have been trying to study phenomena related to the action of the moon and its possible influence on plants. Thus, the objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of the phases of the moon on the sprouting and the development of the rubber tree graft after the cutting of the rootstock. The experiment was carried out in Votuporanga/SP and the grafts were made on 10-month rootstocks with buddings of the clones of RRIM 600 on 31/1/14 by the same person. The cuttings of the rootstocks were carried out two days before each lunar cycle (22/9/14 - new; 29/9/14 - rising; 06/10/14 - full and 13/10/14 - waning). After 40 days of cutting, the following parameters were evaluated: rootstock diameter; percentage, diameter, height and dry mass of the shoot. It was concluded that in the region of Votuporanga/SP there is no interference of the phases of the moon in the sprouting of the rubber tree graft and that the cutting of the rootstock performed in the phases of the full and waning moon (two days before the entrance) produces shoots of rubber tree graft with more height and dry mass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Findings concerning the effects of moon phases and sun activity on suicide are mixed in the international literature.Aim: Our aim was to examine the hypothesised effects according to gender and age on Hungarian data covering more than 30 years.Methods: Time series ARIMA models and dynamic regression models were applied in our analysis.Results: Among women aged 20-49 years, a significant increase in the risk of suicide has been observed during proton solar events. At the same time, among women aged 50-59 years a slight but significant decrease has been identified in the risk of suicide during magnetic storms and full moons.Conclusion: Proton solar events, geomagnetic storms and moon phases caused changes in the risk of suicide in certain age groups in the case of women only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the complexity of the dynamics in litter reposition, our objective was modeling the possible main and interaction effects of tidal oscillations, seasons of the year and the moon phases over the solid waste in Santos beaches. A total of 80 collections were carried out using quadrat sampling, from which we classified, counted and weighed all residue items. We fitted mixed Hurdle models to the output datasets and performed hypotheses tests based on this framework. We found plastic to be the most abundant residue in all seasons, moon phases and tides, followed by Styrofoam and wood. Our models suggest the strongest effect was due to seasonal variations, which, in turn, may be related to different human activities. Although the dynamics of different components showed independency of all interaction structures, plastics depended on the interaction of tide and season, whose impact over estuarine life and ecosystem services shall be further investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Approximately 11% of the German population are convinced that certain moon phases and moon signs may impact their health and the onset and clinical course of diseases. Before elective surgery, a considerable number of patients look to optimize the timing of the procedure based on the lunar cycle. Especially patients awaiting living donor kidney transplantation (LDKT) commonly look for an adjustment of the date of transplantation according to the moon calendar. This study therefore investigated the perioperative and long-term outcome of LDKT dependent on moon phases and zodiac signs. Methods: Patient data were prospectively collected in a continuously updated kidney transplant database. Two hundred and seventy-eight consecutive patients who underwent LDKT between 1994 and December 2009 were selected for the study and retrospectively assigned to the four moon phases (new-moon, waxing-moon, full-moon, and waning-moon) and the corresponding zodiac sign (moon sign Libra), based on the date of transplantation. Preexisting comorbidities, perioperative mortality, surgical outcome, and long-term survival data were analyzed. Results: Of all LDKT procedures, 11.9, 39.9, 11.5, and 36.5% were performed during the new, waxing, full, and waning moon, respectively, and 6.2% during the moon sign Libra, which is believed to interfere with renal surgery. Survival rates at 1, 5, and 10 years after transplantation were 98.9, 92, and 88.7% (patient survival) and 97.4, 91.6, and 80.6% (graft survival) without any differences between all groups of lunar phases and moon signs. Overall perioperative complications and early graft loss occurred in 21.2 and 1.4%, without statistical difference (p > 0.05) between groups. Conclusion: Moon phases and the moon sign Libra had no impact on early and long-term outcome measures following LDKT in our study. Thus, concerns of patients awaiting LDKT regarding the ideal time of surgery can be allayed, and surgery may be scheduled independently of the lunar phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animals can adapt their activity patterns throughout the circadian cycle. Prey may use moonlight as a predation risk cue and allocate their activity to lower risk periods. Here, we assessed moon transit influence on the activity allocation of nocturnal mammalian prey, in the presence of a predator (pumas, Puma concolor), during different moon phases, through camera trapping in Central Amazon. Thirty camera traps were installed 2 km apart from each other in each of our three study sites. Prey record distributions were assessed across the moon cycle, and their daily activity patterns were described in each moon phase. The record distributions of pacas ( Cuniculus paca) ( N = 262) and armadillos ( Dasypus sp.) ( N = 244) were concentrated in darker nights, contrasting with red brocket deer ( Mazama americana) ( N = 123) and pumas ( N = 31), whose records were evenly distributed through the moon cycle. Yet, every prey was found to avoid the brighter times of the night regardless of the moon phase. These findings suggest prey can shift the temporal distribution of their activities under different moon phases when predators are present, perhaps in response to predation risk variations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For many years, it was believed that bird and mammal communication ‘in the dark of the night’ relied exclusively on vocal and chemical signalling. However, in recent decades, several case studies have conveyed the idea that the nocturnal world is rich in visual information. Clearly, a visual signal needs a source of light to work, but diurnal light (twilight included, i.e. any light directly dependent on the sun) is not the only source of luminosity on this planet. Actually, moonlight represents a powerful source of illumination that cannot be neglected from the perspective of visual communication. White patches of feathers and fur on a dark background have the potential to be used to communicate with conspecifics and heterospecifics in dim light across different contexts and for a variety of reasons. Here: (i) we review current knowledge on visual signalling in crepuscular and nocturnal birds and mammals; and (ii) we also present some possible cases of birds and mammals that, due to the characteristics of their feather and fur coloration pattern, might use visual signals in dim light. Visual signalling in nocturnal animals is still an emerging field and, to date, it has received less attention than many other means of communication, including visual communication under daylight. For this reason, many questions remain unanswered and, sometimes, even unasked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research studied a group of three preservice elementary teachers creating a narrated stop-motion animation (Slowmation) from start to finish in 3 hours to explain the challenging concept of 'phases of the moon' to elementary school children. The research questions investigated the preservice teachers' learning before and after the construction as well as how the preservice teachers designed the slowmation as a teaching resource. Data collection involved individual interviews immediately before and after the construction in conjunction with analysis of video and audio data collected during the construction process. Before the animation construction, the participants had little understanding of the causes of moon phases and one held an alternative conception. After creating the slowmation all three preservice teachers demonstrated more 'elements' of the concept and appeared to resolve an alternative conception. There are two findings from this research: (i) creating a slowmation enabled the preservice teachers to develop more elements to contribute to their understanding of moon phases; (ii) the design of the slowmation was based on breaking the concept into a sequence of sub-concepts that were represented digitally. Designing a digital teaching resource such as a slowmation to explain a concept involves preservice teachers breaking a concept down into coherent parts or 'chunks' and representing the concept in multiple ways. This can be done within a science method class and is also a good way for the them to negotiate meanings about a difficult concept. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 52: 1207-1233, 2015. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]