Search

Copyright of Conservation Biology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell 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.)

This work presents a porous crystal plasticity model which incorporates the necessary mechanisms of deformation and failure in single crystalline porous materials. Such models can play a significant role in better understanding the behaviour of inherently porous materials which could be an artefact of manufacturing process viz. 3D metal printing. The presented model is an extension of the conventional crystal plasticity model. The proposed model includes the effect of mechanics-based quantities, such as stress triaxiality, initial porosity, crystal orientation, void growth and coalescence, on the deformation and failure of a single crystalline material. A detailed parametric assessment of the model has been presented to assess the model behaviour for different material parameters. The model is validated using uniaxial data taken from literature. Lastly, model predictions have been presented to demonstrate the model's ability in predicting deformation and failure in polycrystalline sheet materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migratory birds like endangered whooping cranes (Grus americana) require suitable nocturnal roost sites during twice annual migrations. Whooping cranes primarily roost in shallow surface water wetlands, ponds, and rivers. All these features have been greatly impacted by human activities, which present threats to the continued recovery of the species. A portion of one such river, the central Platte River, has been identified as critical habitat for the survival of the endangered whooping crane. Management intervention is now underway to rehabilitate habitat form and function on the central Platte River to increase use and thereby contribute to the survival of whooping cranes. The goal of our analyses was to develop habitat selection models that could be used to direct riverine habitat management activities (i.e., channel widening, tree removal, flow augmentation, etc.) along the central Platte River and throughout the species’ range. As such, we focused our analyses on two robust sets of whooping crane observations and habitat metrics the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program (Program or PRRIP) and other such organizations could influence. This included channel characteristics such as total channel width, the width of channel unobstructed by dense vegetation, and distance of forest from the edge of the channel and flow-related metrics like wetted width and unit discharge (flow volume per linear meter of wetted channel width) that could be influenced by flow augmentation or reductions during migration. We used 17 years of systematic monitoring data in a discrete-choice framework to evaluate the influence these various metrics have on the relative probability of whooping crane use and found the width of channel unobstructed by dense vegetation and distance to the nearest forest were the best predictors of whooping crane use. Secondly, we used telemetry data obtained from a sample of 38 birds of all ages over the course of seven years, 2010–2016, to evaluate whooping crane use of riverine habitat within the North-central Great Plains, USA. For this second analysis, we focused on the two metrics found to be important predictors of whooping crane use along the central Platte River, unobstructed channel width and distance to nearest forest or wooded area. Our findings indicate resource managers, such as the Program, have the potential to influence whooping crane use of the central Platte River through removal of in-channel vegetation to increase the unobstructed width of narrow channels and through removal of trees along the bank line to increase unforested corridor widths. Results of both analyses also indicated that increases in relative probability of use by whooping cranes did not appreciably increase with unobstructed views ≥200 m wide and unforested corridor widths that were ≥330 m. Therefore, managing riverine sites for channels widths >200 m and removing trees beyond 165 m from the channel’s edge would increase costs associated with implementing management actions such as channel and bank-line disking, removing trees, augmenting flow, etc. without necessarily realizing an additional appreciable increase in use by migrating whooping cranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Life of adolescent girl is characterized by continual changes both internal (e.g. physiological, anatomical, and psychological changes) and external (e.g. changes in school, peers, and parenting practices) and therefore this stage is considered to be a very critical transitional stage in a girl's life with acute crises in which her future is at stake. This study was thus conducted to identify multi-dimensional adjustment issues faced by adolescent girls. Methodology. Total 336 Pre-university girls between the age of 15 to 19 years were selected through purposive sampling from various Girl's colleges of Mysuru. Results: The results revealed that general personal problems were more apparent in adolescent girls. It was found that 40.77% adolescent girls had problems in concentration, 33% girls had problems of forgetfulness, 32.5 % of girls had problems of anxiety, tension & worries and 23% of girls had reported mood fluctuations. Problems related to academic, society, family, infrastructure and interpersonal relations were also seen, but they were not very high. Thirteen percent of girls had reported the problem of time management and 9% of girls had reported problems related to the infrastructure of the college hostel. Conclusion: The results thus reflect the need to cater to the needs of adolescent girls which are going through excessive biological, social and psychological issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Geomorphological changes in recent decades in an arid transgressive coastal dune system (Maspalomas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands) are analyzed. The methodology used is based on the generation of two geomorphological maps (1961 and 2003) by interpretation of digital orthophotos. The overlay of both maps in a geographic information system (GIS) enabled the spatial and surface changes of the landforms to be determined, and the processes that generated these changes. Twelve cultural and geomorphological processes were identified from highest to lowest importance, namely: anthropization by urban occupation (114 ha changed), stabilization (92.5 ha), barchanization (37 ha), salinization/halophytication (15 ha), anthropization (12.4 ha), deflation (11.8 ha), dune loss/beach gain (11.3 ha), dune formation (9.6 ha), progradation (8 ha), retrogradation (7.7 ha), destabilization (2.7 ha) and flooding (0.7 ha). Geomorphological changes are associated with a combination of five main factors, three of anthropogenic origin and two natural ones. The natural factors are: (1) the arid climate, which favors changes occurring at high speed; (2) the existence of a progressive sedimentary deficit. Anthropogenic factors are: (3) construction of tourist urbanizations, infrastructures and facilities; (4) installation of equipment or infrastructure on the beaches; (5) the activities carried out by users. These human factors have altered the aeolian dynamics and reduced the area occupied by vegetation in some areas, causing changes in aeolian sedimentary processes. The geomorphological processes identified can be used as indicators of environmental change, allowing us to synthesize the changes in landforms detected, and group all combinations derived from the analysis by GIS and analyze them spatially. Thus, the environmental changes in the transgressive coastal dune systems could be interpreted more effectively. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Irrigation & Drainage is the property of Wiley-Blackwell 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.)

The digitization of biocollections is a critical task with direct implications for the global community who use the data for research and education. Recent innovations to involve citizen scientists in digitization increase awareness of the value of biodiversity specimens; advance science, technology, engineering, and math literacy; and build sustainability for digitization. In support of these activities, we launched the first global citizen-science event focused on the digitization of biodiversity specimens: Worldwide Engagement for Digitizing Biocollections (WeDigBio). During the inaugural 2015 event, 21 sites hosted events where citizen scientists transcribed specimen labels via online platforms (DigiVol, Les Herbonautes, Notes from Nature, the Smithsonian Institution's Transcription Center, and Symbiota). Many citizen scientists also contributed off-site. In total, thousands of citizen scientists around the world completed over 50,000 transcription tasks. Here, we present the process of organizing an international citizen-science event, an analysis of the event's effectiveness, and future directions--content now foundational to the growing WeDigBio event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the Empathizing–Systemizing (E–S) theory, it was hypothesized that the underrepresentation of female students in the physical sciences and the underrepresentation of males in the social sciences relates to differences in E–S cognitive style between the sexes. This hypothesis was tested in 115 physical science students and 155 social science students from a university in the Netherlands. The students completed visuospatial tests and the systemizing quotient-revised (SQ-R) as measures for systemizing, and a Cartoon Prediction test and the empathy quotient (EQ) as measures for empathizing. Independent of sex, the physical science students scored significantly lower than social science students on EQ (with large effect size) and ‘brain type’ that represents the standardized difference score between EQ and SQ-R (with large effect size). Physical science students, furthermore, scored significantly higher on the Cartoon Prediction task and one of the visuospatial tasks; however, these effects were only small of size. Unlike the scores on the SQ-R and the performance tests, the ‘brain type’ score of the EQ and SQ-R questionnaires was a good predictor of entry into social or physical sciences. Interestingly, the typical sex differences in more empathizing and less systemizing in females compared to males were only small for EQ and ‘brain type’, and absent for the SQ-R and the performance tests. This study only partially confirms the E–S theory, because typical sex differences were only minor in this selective sample and only the self-report measures predicted academic area in the absence of a role for sex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining the accurate age of malaria vectors is crucial to measure the risk of malaria transmission. A group of fluorescent chemicals derived from a pyrimidine-pyrazine ring structure known as pteridines from the head, thorax and whole body of adult female Anopheles stephensi were identified and evaluated as a tool for chronological and physiological age determination of malaria vectors. The female mosquitoes were collected from an insectary colony at an interval of every 5 days, up to 30 days, and the pteridines of head, thorax and whole body were detected fluorometrically by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) using excitation and emission wavelengths of 365 and 455 nm, respectively. In addition, alteration of the pteridines compounds was compared between blood and sugar fed mosquito groups. Although four pteridines including pterin-6-carboxylic acid, biopterin, xanthopterin and isoxanthopterin were detected, some of them were absent in the head or thorax of mosquitoes. Levels of all four pteridines were similarly decreased in a linear manner throughout 30 days. No significant difference in alteration of pteridine compounds was observed between the two groups of blood or sugar fed mosquitoes. This result indicates that diet has a little effect on pteridines alteration. Age determination based on pteridines, as an age-grading technique, could be used for field collected mosquitoes, which have either sugar or blood meal. In addition, analyzing total pteridine fluorescence from only whole body could be a convenient method to estimate the age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Along a Tyrrhenian coastal ecosystem the macroinvertebrates of a dune slack were studied to assess food webs, guilds and the possible links with other beach compartments. Environmental monitoring was conducted for an entire year through beach profiling, collection of the vegetation, of substrate samples and of the chemico-physical parameters of the ground water. Macroinvertebrates were assessed seasonally with two line transects of pitfall traps whereas monthly captures were carried out for coleopterans only. Zonations were also calculated to subdivide dune slack residents from nonresidents. The plant and invertebrate specie were then grouped using Hierarchical Cluster analysis. Canonical Correspondence Analysis was instead used to evaluate the effect of the environmental parameters of the dune slack on the vegetation structure and macroinvertebrate composition. To evaluate the relative contribution of the different food sources to the diets of the macroinvertebrates a Bayesian stable isotope mixing model was employed. The study clearly showed that the inhabiting dune slack fauna was subdivided in two main guilds of non-predator and predator species and that slacks could be used all year round by resident species adopting particular behaviours or avoiding interspecific competition by modulating their spatial and temporal strategies. Furthermore slacks were exploited as nursery grounds for immature stages of specific species and in other cases as important feeding areas for predators. These findings indicated that macroinvertebrates exploited beach compartments according to the different stages of their life-cycle and that the integrity of the entire beach ecosystem is a key factor to promote a high biodiversity in a sandy beach-dune ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The past few decades have seen a progressive reduction in the extent of mobile dune systems and early successional stage habitats in many parts of NW Europe. The evidence suggests that a number of factors have contributed to this process, but their relative importance remains uncertain. This paper examines the nature and possible causes of geomorphological and vegetation changes at Kenfig Burrows, South Wales, a site of European nature conservation importance. This dune system is interpreted to have evolved from a sand barrier system which formerly existed to seaward of the present shoreline and which moved landwards and broke down during the later Holocene, driven by rising sea level and periods of more frequent storms. Most of the inland sand invasion occurred during the Little Ice Age, and large-scale sand-blowing continued until the early twentieth century, by which time the shoreline in the area had reached a state of quasi-equilibrium and a trend towards stabilization began, encouraged by exhaustion of marine sand supply and a change towards warmer, wetter and less windy conditions. Stabilization after the 1940-50s was also favoured by other factors, including reduced grazing by livestock and rabbits, reduced physical disturbance, increased nitrogen deposition, and sand dune management measures. By the 1980s the dunes were almost entirely stabilized. Natural reactivation of the surface sand is unlikely given the existing balance between the factors which favour dune mobility (frequent occurrence of sand-moving winds and high sand supply), and those which encourage vegetation growth and dune stability (high precipitation, high temperatures, low wind speeds, high rates of nitrogen deposition and low grazing / disturbance pressure). Since 2012 trials have been underway to determine if it is possible to increase the mobility of the dune system through intervention measures, including turf stripping and creation of artificial 'notches' to increase local wind speeds and sand-transport, but it will be several years before the effectiveness of these measures is known. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regional responses of winter shorebird populations in the nearly 3,000 ha estuary of Tomales Bay, California, to the restoration of 223 ha of historic tidal wetlands were evaluated for 27 years: 19 years prior to tidal reintroduction and 8 years after tidal reintroduction. We used interrupted time series analyses to measure the spatial extent of the restoration effect and to model the magnitude and length of time associated with the gradual, restoration-induced growth of winter shorebird populations in the bay. Expanded, regional benefits of the restoration were revealed by consistent patterns of winter shorebird population growth. Eight years after tidal reintroduction, overall shorebird abundances in southern Tomales Bay nearly tripled in response to the restoration. Substantial winter population growth by most species in southern Tomales Bay was evident within 3 years after tidal reintroduction, and maximum responses to the restoration were estimated to be predominantly achieved within 8 years. In contrast to strong effects of tidal marsh restoration on winter shorebird populations in southern Tomales Bay, no significant overall responses were exhibited by shorebirds in the northern portion of the bay, although marginal evidence of expanded effects on a few species in northern Tomales Bay were suggested. The results illustrate the importance of accounting for restoration effects beyond the spatial and temporal boundaries of the restored habitat, to consider both the potentially expanded benefits and the spatial limits of those benefits to regional wildlife populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional views of copulation and sperm transfer supposed that females are passive participants. Recent discoveries suggest, however, that females actively influence the chances that a copulation will result in fertilization of their eggs, and that they sometimes signal to males during copulation in order to elicit male responses. This paper concerns two apparent female signaling behaviors, wing vibration and body shaking, in the tsetse fly Glossina pallidipes, a species in which the male squeezes the female's abdomen rhythmically with his powerful genitalia. Vibration was associated with male squeezes at several levels of analysis. Its coordination with male behavior suggests that vibration functions as a signal that induces the male to interrupt squeezes, but that does not forcefully dislodge the male. The female tended to vibrate her wings soon after the male began a squeeze; and when the female vibrated her wings during a squeeze, the squeeze tended to be shorter. Female body shaking was usually elicited by especially powerful squeezes. Previous studies showed that stimuli from male structures that squeeze the female probably function to induce her to ovulate, to facilitate movement of sperm into her spermathecae, and to reject the sexual advances of additional males. This study is one of the first to document an exchange of signals between male and female insects during copulation, and extends the new field of research on copulatory dialogues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Onchocerca volvulus infects in excess of 15 million people. The vectors are Simulium blackflies, varieties of which differ in their ecologies, behavior and vectorial abilities. Control of the vectors and mass administrations of ivermectin have succeeded in reducing prevalences with elimination achieved in some foci, particularly in Central and southern America. In Africa, progress towards elimination has been less successful. Areas covered: Even with community directed treatment with ivermectin (CDTI), control has been difficult in African areas with initial prevalences in excess of 55%, especially if only annual treatments are dispensed. This is partly attributable to insufficient coverage, but the appearance of incipiently resistant non-responding parasites and lack of attention to vector biology in modeling and planning outcomes of intervention programmes have also played their parts, with recrudescence now appearing in some treated areas. Expert commentary: The biology of onchocerciasis is complex involving different vectors with differing abilities to transmit parasites, diverse pathologies related to geographical and parasite variations and endosymbionts in both parasite and vector. Modeling to predict epidemiological and control outcomes is addressing this complexity but more attention needs to be given to the vectors' roles to further understanding of where and when control measures will succeed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asian wetlands are pivotal habitats for numerous globally declining migratory and resident waterbird species. Ironically 80% of the wetlands in East and South East Asia are classified as threatened, with 50% under grave threat. In particular the mangrove wetlands are under serious threat due to large scale conversion for commercial shrimp ponds and sea level rise. So, the impoverishment of natural wetlands has forced waterbirds to find alternative habitats. On the other hand, some recent studies have highlighted the potential role of anthropogenic, artificial and restored habitats such as coastal grazing marshes, salinas and rice fields to be good habitats for waterbirds. The present study was mainly designed to investigate the role of abandoned shrimp ponds near the mangroves supporting the migratory and resident waterbirds in the Kodiyampalayam area of Pichavaram mangroves. The results show that the abandoned aqua ponds support 26 species of waterbirds. Among them, 16 were migrant and three were in the near threatened (NT) category of IUCN. Suggestions were made in order to improve the habitat to attract more number of waterbird species in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As predation is a primary driver of mortality, the need to minimize predation risk can shape prey behavior, influencing habitat selection and investment in vigilance. As structurally complex habitats can reduce predation risk, prey within heterogeneous environments may have evolved sensory abilities to locate them. In temperate rocky intertidal systems, fucoid seaweeds are a main source of structural complexity and can provide shelter for small organisms. This study examined the effects of predation risk on habitat selection in a tide pool-dwelling shrimp, Palaemon affinis, specifically testing whether predation risk drives preferences for fucoid seaweeds and if shrimps use chemical cues to locate fucoid-rich habitats. While tide pools with and without fucoids were equally abundant, P. affinis densities were >3 times higher in pools containing fucoids. The relationship between P. affinis and fucoids appears to be related to predation risk with P. affinis exhibiting a preference for fucoid microhabitats when a potential predator was present. Shrimps could distinguish between olfactory signatures from tide pools with and without fucoids and the odor of fucoids from other marine algae, suggesting that chemical cues are used to identify these structurally complex habitats. In addition to reducing predation risk, fucoid-rich habitats may provide better access to essential resources and reduce exposure to other biotic and abiotic stressors. This study shows that prey organisms can rapidly modify habitat use based on ambient predation risk, with olfactory cues used to identify the shelter characteristics of different habitats. Significance statement: Predation is the major source of mortality for most animal species. For this reason, animals may have evolved ways to minimize predation risk by modifying their behavior. In this study, we show that small tide pool-dwelling shrimps modify their habitat use in response to predators, using chemical cues to locate and identify structurally complex habitats that could reduce predation risk when this risk is high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Progress in Modern Biomedicine is the property of Publishing House of Progress in Modern Biomedicine 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.)

Copyright of Progress in Modern Biomedicine is the property of Publishing House of Progress in Modern Biomedicine 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.)

Pacific Rim National Park Reserve on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, has 16 km of coastal beaches that attract many thousands of people and shorebirds (S.O. Charadrii) every year. To identify locations where shorebirds concentrate and to determine the impact of human activity and habitat characteristics on shorebirds, we conducted shorebird and visitor surveys at 20 beach sectors (across 20 total km of beach) during fall migration in 2011-2014 and spring migration in 2012 and 2013. Using zero-inflated negative binomial regression and a model selection approach, we found that beach width and number of people influenced shorebird use of beach sectors (Bayesian information criterion weight of top model = 0.69). Shorebird absence from beaches was associated with increasing number of people (parameter estimate from top model: 0.38; 95 % CI 0.19, 0.57) and decreasing beach width (parameter estimate: −0.32; 95 % CI −0.47, −0.17). Shorebirds spent more time at wider beaches (parameter estimate: 0.68; 95 % CI 0.49, 0.87). Close proximity to people increased the proportion of time shorebirds spent moving, while shorebirds spent more time moving and less time foraging on wider beaches than on narrower ones. Shorebird disturbance increased with proximity of people, activity speed, and presence of dogs. Based on our findings, management options, for reducing shorebird disturbance at Pacific Rim National Park Reserve and similar shorebird stopover areas, include mandatory buffer distances between people and shorebirds, restrictions on fast-moving activities (e.g., running, biking), prohibiting dogs, and seasonal closures of wide beach sections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results from three years of surveying and monitoring a dynamic foredune and dunefield restoration effort on Vancouver Island, Canada is presented. Complete removal of foredune vegetation occurred in three phases spaced a year apart in an effort to control invasive Ammophila spp. The collection of airborne LiDAR, orthophotographs, and bi-monthly topographic surveys provided a means to quantify and examine sediment budgets and geomorphic responses. Three survey swaths, corresponding with each phase of vegetation removal, were established to provide detailed topographic coverage over the impacted beach, foredune, and dunefield landscape units. The swath corresponding with the first phase of removal recorded a positive sediment budget of 1·3 m3 m−2 after three years. A control swath, with data collected for a year prior and two years following removal, exhibited a distinct pulse of sediment delivery into the dunefield unit with a maximum gain of 0·03 m3 m−2 pre-removal compared to 0·11 m3 m−2 post-removal. Vegetation analysis zones, associated with each of the three swaths, demonstrate a range of vegetation responses due to variation in the vegetation removal and subsequent re-invasion or removal methods employed. The first site to be cleared of vegetation, received ongoing invasive re-growth control, and three years following removal vegetation cover dropped from 57% in 2009 to 13% in 2012 (−44%). An adjacent site was cleared of vegetation two years later (only one year of recovery) but experienced rapid Ammophila re-invasion and percent cover changed from 61% in 2009 to 26% in 2012 (−35%). The data presented provides insights for improving the application of sediment budget monitoring in dynamic restorations and discusses the potential for detailed spatial-temporal survey data to improve our understanding of meso-scale landscape morphodynamics following foredune disturbance. Overall, the vegetation removal treatments reduced the extent of invasive grass and increased dunefield mobility and dynamic activity. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the South China Sea (SCS) is one of the most productive marine ecoregions in the world, there is no report of marine algae covering this wide area. We here provide the first checklist of marine algae from the SCS, bordered by Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. A total of 1,442 species including subspecies and varieties in 96 families were compiled in this checklist; 119 species in 12 families for Cyanophyta, 305 species in 22 families for Chlorophyta, 258 species in 14 families for Ochrophyta and 730 species in 48 families for Rhodophyta. Marine algal flora, compared using the Sorensen's Similarity Index, is very similar between Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. This preliminary checklist will provide a baseline for future taxonomic and biogeographical studies of marine algae in the region. Further international collaboration among phycologists will improve our knowledge of marine algae in the SCS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Irruptive migration is mostly observed in species specialized on pulsed resources and is thought to be a response to unpredictable changes in food supply. We assessed two alternative hypotheses to explain the periodic winter irruptions of snowy owls Bubo scandiacus every 3-5 years in temperate North America: (a) the lack-of-food hypothesis, which states that a crash in small mammal abundance on the Arctic breeding grounds forces owls to move out of the tundra massively to search for food in winter; (b) the breeding-success hypothesis, which states that high abundance of tundra small mammals during the summer allows for high production of young, thus increasing the pool of migrants moving south the following winter. We modeled winter irruptions of snowy owls in relation to summer food resources and geographic location. Winter abundance of owls was obtained from citizen-based surveys from 1994 to 2011 and summer abundance of small mammals was collected in summer at two distant sites in Canada: Bylot Island, NU (eastern High Arctic) and Daring Lake, NWT (central Low Arctic). Winter owl abundance was positively related to prey abundance during the previous summer at both sites and tended to decrease from western to eastern temperate North America. Irruptive migration of snowy owls was therefore best explained by the breeding success hypothesis and was apparently caused by large-scale summer variations in food. Our results, combined with previous findings, suggest that the main determinants of irruptive migration may be species specific even in a guild of apparently similar species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Conservation Biology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell 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.)

This paper discusses the methods developed for determining the radiopurity of high density polyethylene and polyetherketone ketone materials to be considered for use in ultralow background physics experiments. This work focuses on the processes used to render the polymeric samples acid soluble for subsequent ultratrace analysis using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. High density polyethylene was determined to contain 2.19 ± 0.42 pg Th/g and 2.81 ± 0.52 pg U/g. The method provided very low absolute detection limits of 17.2 and 38.1 fg for Th and U, respectively. However, the polyetherketone ketone sample etched or devitrified the quartz, causing determined values to be a factor of 2-4 higher for Th and 5-9 higher for U from dissolution assay results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Variation in the abundance of animals affects a broad range of ecosystem processes. However, patterns of abundance for large mammals, and the effects of human disturbances on them are not well understood because we lack data at the appropriate scales. We created eMammal to effectively camera-trap at landscape scale. Camera traps detect animals with infrared sensors that trigger the camera to take a photo, a sequence of photos, or a video clip. Through photography, camera traps create records of wildlife from known locations and dates, and can be set in arrays to quantify animal distribution across a landscape. This allows linkage to other distributed networks of ecological data. Objectives: Through the eMammal program, we demonstrate that volunteer-based camera trapping can meet landscape scale spatial data needs, while also engaging the public in nature and science. We assert that camera surveys can be effectively scaled to a macrosystem level through citizen science, but only after solving challenges of data and volunteer management. Method: We present study design and technology solutions for landscape scale camera trapping to effectively recruit, train and retain volunteers while providing efficient data workflows and quality control. Results: Our initial work with > 400 volunteers across six contiguous U.S. states has proven that citizen scientists can deploy these camera traps properly (94 % of volunteer deployments correct) and tag the photos accurately for most species (67-100 %). Using these tools we processed 2.6 million images over a 2 year period. The eMammal cyberinfrastructure made it possible to process far more data than any participating researcher had previously achieved. The core components include an upload application using a standard metadata format, an expert review tool to ensure data quality, and a curated data repository. Conclusion: Macrosystem scale monitoring of wildlife by volunteer-run camera traps can produce the data needed to address questions concerning broadly distributed mammals, and also help to raise public awareness on the science of conservation. This scale of data will allow for linkage of large mammals to ecosystem processes now measured through national programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal soft cliffs in the UK support rich assemblages of invertebrates including species restricted to soft cliffs Howe (Br Wildl 4: 323-331, ). Recent analyses have identified a total of 29 species confined to coastal soft cliffs, with a further 78 species having a high degree of dependence (Howe et al. Br Wildl 19: 172-181, ). A handful of species once more widespread in the UK, both on the coast and inland, such as the Large Mason Bee Osmia xanthomelana and the Long-horned Bee Eucera longicornis, are now found only or mostly at soft cliff localities. Key habitats include bare sand or glacial till, extensive swards of leguminuous and ruderal plants and hydrological features including seepages, pools and reedbeds. Unhindered dynamic processes such as erosion and cliff failure and unimpeded drainage are critical to soft cliffs retaining their invertebrate interest. By far the richest sites for soft cliff invertebrates are on the Dorset and the Isle of Wight coasts, but other important localities include south Devon, the Llŷn coast in Gwynedd, north Norfolk, Yorkshire and the south Gower coast. The most obvious threats to soft cliff invertebrates are cliff-protection and stabilization schemes and drainage. However, agricultural improvement of cliff-top hinterlands at many sites restricts nesting and foraging activities to the immediate cliff slopes, and acts to fragment and isolate sections of soft cliff. More sympathetic management of these areas is needed to reconnect sites and their associated invertebrate populations, to reduce a dependence upon the cliff slope and to increase the availability of suitable nesting and foraging habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human-induced climate change is increasingly recognized as a fundamental driver of biological processes and patterns. Historic climate change is known to have caused shifts in the geographic ranges of many taxa and future climate change is expected to result in even greater redistributions of species. As a result, predicting the impact of climate change on future patterns of biodiversity will greatly aid conservation planning. Using the North American Breeding Bird Survey and Audubon Christmas Bird Count, two of the most comprehensive continental datasets of vertebrates in the world, and correlative distribution modeling, we assessed geographic range shifts for 588 North American bird species during both the breeding and non-breeding seasons under a range of future emission scenarios (SRES A2, A1B, B2) through the end of the century. Here we show that 314 species (53%) are projected to lose more than half of their current geographic range across three scenarios of climate change through the end of the century. For 126 species, loss occurs without concomitant range expansion; whereas for 188 species, loss is coupled with potential to colonize new replacement range. We found no strong associations between projected climate sensitivities and existing conservation prioritizations. Moreover, species responses were not clearly associated with habitat affinities, migration strategies, or climate change scenarios. Our results demonstrate the need to include climate sensitivity into current conservation planning and to develop adaptive management strategies that accommodate shrinking and shifting geographic ranges. The persistence of many North American birds will depend on their ability to colonize climatically suitable areas outside of current ranges and management actions that target climate adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evaluation of geographic distribution of Pyropia along the Gulf of California, Mexico, was realized using molecular data from two loci, the plastid rbcL gene and the partial 18S ribosomal DNA (rDNA), in conjunction with morphological observations. Dawson described two endemic species for the genus Pyropia ( Pyropia hollenbergii and Pyropia pendula) in the Gulf of California based on taxonomic characteristics. In this study, we collected 130 samples from 13 locations from February 1998 to April 2008. Samples showed similar morphologies and growth habits and share a very similar type descriptions and habitat records. Using morphological and anatomical characteristics, we identify individuals as P. hollenbergii and P. pendula. However, using the molecular data, we identified five identities, which we have classified as P. hollenbergii, P. pendula, Pyropia sp. Gulf of California I (GCI), Pyropia sp. GCII, and Pyropia sp. GCIII. Phylogenetic trees based on partial 18S rDNA and rbcL sequence data showed a deep division in the genus that is not obviously correlated with existing morphological characteristics and indicate that representatives of the Gulf of California flora have undergone long reproductive isolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Polovodova method based on counting follicular dilatations estimates the number of egg-laying in mosquitoes. However, some researchers doubt the reliability of this method because of the absence of multiple dilatations in vectors after many gonotrophic cycles. It is in this context of controversy that our study was carried out to evaluate the importance of follicular dilatations in the determination of parity levels in An. gambiae s.s. Moreover, the application of this method allowed us to clarify the evolution of vectors' infectivity to P. falciparum according to their parity level. Methods: We used two techniques to determine the parity level in An. gambiae s.s. We used two batches of wild strain mosquitoes reproduced after a known number of egg-laying in laboratory. The first batch was submitted to oil injection in the ovaries using a micropipette. In the same way, the classic technique of ovaries dilaceration (a technique based on the Polovodova method) was applied to the second batch. In order to assess relationship between parity level and mosquitoes' infectivity, Polovodova method was applied on vectors collected on humans. Finally, Heads and thoraces of these vectors were individually analyzed for P. falciparum antigen detection using an ELISA assay. Results: In the first batch including 50 female mosquitoes "never laid", 50 "laid once", 50 "laid twice" and 48 "three times", oil injection technique revealed 42 nulliparous, 44 uniparous, 46 biparous and 44 triparous respectively. Overall, Polovodova method was effective using oil injection technique (p > 0.05). On the other hand, in the second batch that has a similar number of laying to the first batch, the application of Polovodova method through classical technique of ovaries dilaceration was ineffective with multiparous females (p < 0.05). Moreover, probability of vector infectivity increased with the number of egg-laying (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Our results revealed that the Polovodova method is reliable for estimating the number of egg-laying in Anopheles gambiae s.s. using oil injection technique in the ovaries. The study has also showed an increased likelihood of infectivity in vectors according to the number of egg-laying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Ornithology is the property of Springer Nature 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.)

The article lists the members of the editorial board of the journal "Public Policy and Aging Report" including editor-in-chief Robert B. Hudson, associate editor Greg O'Neill, and managing editor Megan McCutcheon.

Background Clinical practice guidelines are widely used in primary care, yet are not always based on applicable research. Aim To explore primary care practitioners' views on the applicability to primary care patients of evidence underpinning National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline recommendations. Design and setting Delphi survey and focus groups in primary care, England, UK. Method Delphi survey of the perceived applicability of 14 guideline recommendations rated before and after a description of their evidence base, followed by two focus groups. Results GPs significantly reduced scores for their perceived likelihood of pursuing recommendations after finding these were based on studies with low applicability to primary care, but maintained their scores for recommendations based on highly applicable research. GPs reported they were more likely to use guidelines where evidence was applicable to primary care, and less likely if the evidence base came from a secondary care population. Practitioners in the focus groups accepted that guideline developers would use the most relevant evidence available, but wanted clearer signposting of those recommendations particularly relevant for primary care patients. Their main need was for brief, clear, and accessible guidelines. Conclusion Guidelines should specify the extent to which the research evidence underpinning each recommendation is applicable to primary care. The relevance of guideline recommendations to primary care populations could be more explicitly considered at all three stages of guideline development: scoping and evidence synthesis, recommendation development, and publication. The relevant evidence base needs to be presented clearly and concisely, and in an easy to identify way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Welsh coastal dune systems have become increasingly vegetated in recent decades. Several rare species of plants and invertebrates have declined dramatically in abundance, and in some areas lost entirely. Of the ten dune habitats and species recognized as being features of European importance within the Welsh Natura 2000 sites, nine are currently in Unfavourable condition on at least one site. The decline in active aeolian processes has also reduced the geomorphological interest of the sites, several of which were designated as Geological Conservation Review sites principally on the basis of their physical processes and landforms. The decline in bare sand area between the 1940-50s and 2009 has been quantified at twelve Welsh dune sites using aerial photography and GIS. The decline ranged from 41 % at Gronant Dunes and Talacre Warren to 97 % at Kenfig Burrows, with an average of 81 %. Morfa Dyffryn had the highest remaining percentage of bare sand in 2009 (20 %), with 30-40 % coverage of mobile dune and pioneer communities, while seven sites had < 5 % bare sand. Dune stabilization over the past 60 years has been favoured by a number of factors, including less windy conditions, higher temperatures and longer growing season, increased atmospheric nitrogen deposition, a reduction in grazing intensity, and dune management policies aimed at controlling mobile sand. Climate change projections suggest that, in the next 50 to 100 years, Wales and adjoining areas are likely to experience higher temperatures and higher rainfall, especially in winter, and a further slight reduction in wind speeds. Without intervention, dune and dune slack habitats are likely to be increasingly replaced by fixed dune grassland and scrub, resulting in the extinction of rare plants, invertebrates and other species which require open, mobile conditions. Several intervention options exist, ranging in scale and potential impact. Increased livestock grazing, re-introduction of rabbits, scrub clearance, turf stripping and the creation of shallow 'scrapes' can be beneficial but will not by themselves create self-sustaining mobile dunes. In order to have any chance of achieving any significant impact, larger-scale intervention measures, involving large-scale vegetation removal and sand-re-profiling, will be required. At least in the short-term, maintenance measures will be required to prevent vegetation re-growth, and the challenge will be to encourage the development of mobile dune features which will be naturally mobile in the medium to longer term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moths are abundant and ubiquitous in vegetated terrestrial environments and are pollinators, important herbivores of wild plants, and food for birds, bats and rodents. In recent years, many once abundant and widespread species have shown sharp declines that have been cited by some as indicative of a widespread insect biodiversity crisis. Likely causes of these declines include agricultural intensification, light pollution, climate change, and urbanization; however, the real underlying cause(s) is still open to conjecture. We used data collected from the citizen science Garden Moth Scheme (GMS) to explore the spatial association between the abundance of 195 widespread British species of moth, and garden habitat and landscape features, to see if spatial habitat and landscape associations varied for species of differing conservation status. We found that associations with habitat and landscape composition were species-specific, but that there were consistent trends in species richness and total moth abundance. Gardens with more diverse and extensive microhabitats were associated with higher species richness and moth abundance; gardens near to the coast were associated with higher richness and moth abundance; and gardens in more urbanized locations were associated with lower species richness and moth abundance. The same trends were also found for species classified as increasing, declining and vulnerable under IUCN (World Conservation Union) criteria. However, vulnerable species were more strongly negatively affected by urbanization than increasing species. Two hypotheses are proposed to explain this observation: (1) that the underlying factors causing declines in vulnerable species (e.g., possibilities include fragmentation, habitat deterioration, agrochemical pollution) across Britain are the same in urban areas, but that these deleterious effects are more intense in urban areas; and/or (2) that urban areas can act as ecological traps for some vulnerable species of moth, the light drawing them in from the surrounding landscape into sub-optimal urban habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on molecular phylogenetic studies, Balsaminaceae, Tetrameristaceae (including Pellicieraceae) and Marcgraviaceae form the strongly supported first branching clade in the asterid order Ericales. Marcgraviaceae and Tetrameristaceae were proposed to be closely related in pre-molecular studies, but the systematic position of Balsaminaceae has been controversial for some time and a relationship with the other two families was never suggested in pre-molecular/pre-cladistic times. However, interfamilial relationships in the clade are still unclear because of conflicting phylogenetic hypotheses from molecular analyses. In order to assess the validity of these molecular hypotheses from a morphological point of view, the floral morphology, anatomy and histology of Balsaminaceae, Tetrameristaceae and Marcgraviaceae are comparatively studied in detail. In addition, earlier literature is reviewed. The monophyly of the balsaminoid clade is strongly supported by floral structure, and a series of potential floral synapomorphies is identified for the clade. Prominent features shared by the three families include broad and dorsiventrally flattened filaments, thread-like structures lining the stomia of dehisced anthers, secretory inner morphological surfaces of the gynoecium, ovules intermediate between uni- and bitegmic, incompletely tenuinucellar ovules, fruits with persistent style and stigma, seeds lacking endosperm and several anatomical/histological traits. The families are also distinctive because the bracts and/or sepals are petaloid and nectariferous. Further, the floral structure supports a sister group relationship between Balsaminaceae and Tetrameristaceae rather than any of the other possible interfamilial relationships. These two families share a caducous calyx, post-genital fusion/coherence of filaments and ovary surface, latrorse anther dehiscence, commissural carpel lobes and ovules with a thickened funiculus and a constricted chalazal region. The occurrence of these features in Ericales is discussed. Future structural studies in other ericalean lineages and additional molecular studies are needed to further test these features with respect to their systematic value for the balsaminoid clade. Some may turn out to be true synapomorphies, whereas others may be recognized as plesiomorphies, as they may be more widely spread in Ericales than currently thought. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2013, 173, 325-386. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to their position of interface between the sea and land, the flora and vegetation of coastal beaches and dunes, occupy ecologically extreme, sensitive, unique and valuable habitats. The occurrence of a large number of endemic taxa and specific plant associations endowed with key ecological services and adapted to a stressful and harsh environmental gradient, gives them a high interest for nature conservation and an important role in sustainable territorial planning. However, such ecosystems are vulnerable to the disruption caused by several anthropogenic sources. Among other global threat factors, the inevitable sea rise caused by climate change and, at a local scale, the non-negligible implications of trampling caused by disorderly coastal touristic exploitation, growing construction pressure in the littoral, and a seasonal population boom in late spring and in summer, plus all derivate forms of pollution, are threat factors to their integrity. Therefore, a correct planning of the touristic economic activities requires the understanding of the vegetation composition and spatial distribution patterns, intrinsically determined by their biogeographic context in the Euro-Siberian or Mediterranean Regions. This comprehensive work, based on a broad phytogeographic study, brings together disperse information on plant communities of the Portuguese sandy coasts (beaches and dunes), by analysing floristic compositions, chorology and ecological characteristics, and matching them with the 'Nature 2000' network habitats. Resilience and vulnerability are also studied. In a nature conservation perspective, a positive balance (and a sustainable co-existence) between the preservation of natural values and human development in the Portuguese coast, will benefit with the integration of this knowledge in coastal planning and management activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence-based conservation allows the evaluation of both the collateral benefits and the drawbacks of a wide range of human activities, like quarrying. In this study, the community structure of bees and wasps (Hymenoptera:Apocrita) in Central European sandpits was investigated, focusing on the changes caused by quarrying cessation and technical reclamation, as well as on the changes caused by spontaneous succession leading to the increased availability of food resources but also to the loss of the number and size of available bare sand patches. The bees and wasps demonstrated an exceptional ability to colonize the newly emerging sand quarrying areas, and to survive in them unless these were quarried as intensively as to not allow the development of any early successional vegetation. Both active and closed sandpits were found to serve as important regional refuges for the persistence of many rare species. In total, 221 species were detected, 53 of those were red-listed, with two species thought to be regionally extinct. Typically, active quarrying was associated with the presence of Bembecinus tridens, Halictus subauratus, H. maculatus, and Andrena nigroaenea. The list of the species of conservation interest is provided, and so is the detailed analysis of the life-history traits of the species in relation to the presence of bare sand patches, vegetation cover, quarrying intensity, and time elapsed since the formation of each artificial habitat patch. Sandpits as refuges for xerothermophilous and psammophilous hymenopterans are usually completely and irreversibly lost if the current legislature enforcing the technical reclamation over spontaneous or assisted succession is applied in all or most of the post-mining areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives (1) To examine the acceptability and feasibility of a stress management intervention for caregivers of children recently diagnosed with cancer. (2) To explore whether caregivers with lower baseline perceived social support derive greater benefit from the intervention than those with higher perceived support. Methods 45 primary caregivers were randomly assigned to intervention or standard care. Of these, 37 completed measures of social support, depression, anxiety, and perceived stress at both pre-intervention (T1; mean =24 days post-diagnosis) and post-intervention time points (T2; mean = 165 days post-diagnosis). Results Enrollment, retention, and satisfaction data support feasibility and acceptability of the intervention. There was no overall significant impact of participation in the intervention on levels of distress at T2. However, Ti social support moderated intervention response, with caregivers who perceived lower Ti support showing greater psychological benefit from the intervention. Conclusions Primary caregivers with lower levels of perceived social support may benefit from preemptive stress management intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Ornithology is the property of Springer Nature 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.)

Worldwide declines in shorebird populations, driven largely by habitat loss and degradation, motivate environmental managers to preserve and restore the critical coastal habitats on which these birds depend. Effective habitat management requires an understanding of the factors that determine habitat use and value to shorebirds, extending from individuals to the entire community. While investigating the factors that influenced shorebird foraging distributions among neighboring intertidal sand flats, we built upon species-level understandings of individual-based, small-scale foraging decisions to develop more comprehensive guild- and community-level insights. We found that densities and community composition of foraging shorebirds varied substantially among elevations within some tidal flats and among five flats despite their proximity (all located within a 400-m stretch of natural, unmodified inlet shoreline). Non-dimensional multivariate analyses revealed that the changing composition of the shorebird community among flats and tidal elevations correlated significantly (rs = 0.56) with the spatial structure of the benthic invertebrate prey community. Sediment grain-sizes affected shorebird community spatial patterns indirectly by influencing benthic macroinvertebrate community compositions. Furthermore, combining sediment and macroinvertebrate information produced a 27% increase in correlation (rs = 0.71) with shorebird assemblage patterns over the correlation of the bird community with the macroinvertebrate community alone. Beyond its indirect effects acting through prey distributions, granulometry of the flats influenced shorebird foraging directly by modifying prey availability. Our study highlights the importance of habitat heterogeneity, showing that no single patch type was ideal for the entire shorebird community. Generally, shorebird density and diversity were greatest at lower elevations on flats when they became exposed; these areas are at risk from human intervention by inlet sand mining, construction of groins and jetties that divert sediments from flats, and installation of seawalls on inlet shorelines that induce erosion of flats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining the importance of stopover and staging areas to migrating shorebirds (Aves: Charadriiformes) is essential if such habitats are to be successfully protected. Migration chronology, species composition, length of stay, body condition, and estimated total abundance of shorebirds during spring and fall migratory periods of 2008 and 2009 were documented on Akimiski Island, Nunavut, Canada. Fourteen shorebird species were observed during spring point counts and 18 during fall. Semipalmated ( Calidris pusilla) and White-rumped ( C. fuscicollis) Sandpipers comprised about 80 % of all individuals observed. A greater number of species and individuals were observed during fall than spring in both years. Radio-transmitters attached to juvenile Semipalmated and Least ( C. minutilla) Sandpipers indicated highly variable lengths of stay ranging up to 26 days in both species (Semipalmated Sandpiper averaged 6.5 ± 2.67 days, n = 12; Least Sandpipers averaged 7.25 ± 3.79 days, n = 8). In 2009, Semipalmated Sandpipers captured and weighed later in the season were significantly heavier than those captured earlier suggesting that this species is refueling while on Akimiski Island. A fall migration seasonal density of 5,267 (2,193-8,341) shorebirds/km was estimated given a residence probability (i.e., the probability of an individual being present in consecutive counts) of 0.906 ± 0.181. Assuming similar habitat value and shorebird density, an extrapolation of the seasonal plot density of 5,267 birds/km to the total 192 km mudflat habitat on Akimiski Island yields an estimate of 1,011,264 (421,098-1,601,429) shorebirds during fall migration, making Akimiski Island of Hemispheric importance as a staging site for migrant arctic-breeding shorebirds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon monoxide (CO) an "INVISIBLE KILLER". Having high affinity for hemoglobin, it forms carboxyhemoglobin. Resulting decrease in both oxygen-carrying capacity and oxygen release leads to end-organ hypoxia. Common sources of CO poisonings in urban areas is from automobiles and in home from ill fitted gas heaters. Signs & Symptoms of poisoning depend on the exposure to percentage in the inhaled air. At low levels it can lead to headache & nausea where as neurological symptoms and even death at high levels. We report four cases of accidental death due to carbon monoxide poisoning in a rural area of central INDIA while cleaning an old well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]