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Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) rarely prey on living adult deer. We report video documentation, obtained May 2024, of a bear subduing and killing a sika deer (Cervus nippon) that was captured in a leg-hold snare trap, then staying in the area for repeated feeding visits. Leg-hold snare traps for deer capture are widely used in Japan for population control of high deer densities. The predation by bears on deer with restricted movements in this study shows that deer trapping by humans may be providing bears with a new form of deer as a food resource. If bears perceive such a deer as a regular food resource, it may have some effect on bears' ecology (e.g., feeding habits, behavior). In addition, through foraging on captive deer, bears could endanger trappers and the general population. Our record highlights the necessity of evaluating trap management practices to mitigate risks to humans and wildlife. 要旨:ツキノワグマ （Ursus thibetanus） がニホンジ カ （Cervus nippon） 成獣を捕食することは稀であ る。本研究では、くくり罠で捕獲されたシカにク マが襲い掛かり、その後死亡した個体に繰り返し 訪問し、シカを採食する様子を捉えた一連の動画 を報告する。シカの高密度化に伴うシカの捕獲強 化に際して、くくり罠は広く使用されている。本 事例において身動きが制限されたものの、生きた 成獣のシカをクマが捕食したことは、人によるシ カの捕獲行為がクマに新たな形態の食物資源とし てのシカを提供していることを示唆する。さら に、クマがこのような状態のシカを通常の食物資 源として認識している場合、クマの生態（たとえ ば、食性や行動など）に何かしらの影響を及ぼし ている可能性がある。また、捕獲されたシカのク マによる採食行動は、罠周辺でのクマの長時間の 滞在や錯誤捕獲の危険性を高めることで、捕獲従 事者および周辺住民との人身事故の可能性を高め る可能性がある。本事例は人と野生動物へのリス クを軽減するためにも、適切なくくり罠の運用を 検討する必要性を示唆している。 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traps are one of the most commonly used products for controlling wild pig populations, but every trapping product and process produces different results. Early sexual maturity, extraordinary reproduction rate, and high piglet survivability gives feral pigs the capacity to recover quickly from inferior control efforts which do not target all age classes at the same time. Many trapping efforts fail to accomplish whole-sounder success, creating an industry need to evaluate efficiency and effectiveness. The 2018 Farm Bill provided funding for pilot projects in 10 states to collect feral swine harvest data. Researchers did not collect data points to measure work production or product efficiency and missed an important opportunity to numerically analyze Best Management Practices (BMPs). Our research compared four different trap products using their individual trapping processes to determine which, if any, was more efficient. This project eliminated the total wild pig population from a 20.23 km² (5,000-acre) Flint River property in Reynolds, Georgia. A total of 771 wild pigs were removed by one 57-year-old operator from 70 miles away while working only weekends (two days per week). Four different trapping products were tested and the best capture success rate over 32 months was 97.18% while using a mobile corral trap coupled with an automatic feeder with digital timer set to disburse bait at dusk. This method resulted in an average capture time of 29.65 minutes after sunset by incorporating an innovative conditioning process whereas the population dynamics and education level of each individual sounder dictated the time period between feeder conditioning and trap building. We continually observed several different sounder behaviors change, including predictable dusk feeding times, compared to the remaining three trapping products and methods tested.

Wild pigs arrived on the Bankhead Ranger District in the late 1980s and ‘90s. They proliferated and control efforts began in the early 2000s. In 2011, intensive efforts began, centered around whole sounder removal. By 2020, pigs were controlled at low densities throughout the District except for the rugged and remote Sipsey Wilderness Area. The area is 25,810 acres and surrounding environs remained off limits until a minimum resource analysis was completed, allowing for active management. The Sipsey Pig Project was born. An interagency team was formed, comprised of United States Forest Service (USFS), Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR), and Animal and Plant Health Inspection (APHIS) Wildlife Services personnel. Crucial funding and volunteer support was provided by several local organizations including the wilderness advocacy group. The project began in 2021, when ADCNR agreed to eliminate two special hog hunts on the District. Four technicians from the three agencies began control efforts focused primarily on trapping and whole sounder removal. Other techniques were utilized including aerial gunning and Judas pig with varying levels of success. The first year concluded with approximately 50% of the wilderness receiving control efforts and a record 421 pigs removed from the District, a three-fold increase over the previous year. The next year, 2022, saw the entirety of the wilderness receive control efforts and a marked decrease in pig densities. The initial battle is won but the war remains undecided. Initial control was achieved faster than expected, yet much work remains with four years left in the project. The Sipsey Pig Project is the most aggressive action to date undertaken against wild pigs in a USFS wilderness area east of the Mississippi River. The strategic application of management techniques combined with strong partnerships can achieve wild pig control in the remote regions of our country.

Wild pigs are among the most widespread invasive vertebrate species, having been introduced across the globe as a source of food and for sport hunting. Over the last few decades, the growing ecological and economic impacts of wild pigs have precipitated a shift in the perception and management of this species from a desired game animal to a destructive invasive species, resulting in substantial investments in wild pig management. Most notably, in 2014 the National Feral Swine Damage Management Program was established by the U.S. Congress, representing one of the most extensive management programs for a single invasive species in North America to date. This infusion of interest in wild pig control and resources to carry out these programs has spurred technological innovation, resulting in new and enhanced tools for locating, capturing, and removing wild pigs, as well as a surge in research on this species across its range. These investments have resulted in the elimination or presumed elimination of wild pigs from 12 U.S. States in the last decade. However, several significant hurdles remain that must be addressed to achieve long term success in the management of invasive wild pigs. The lack of unified management goals both within and between many agencies is probably the most important factor limiting widespread control efforts, as there is still no standardized legalized classification of this species in the U.S., and some states continue to actively manage wild pigs as a game species. The lack of concordance in management goals underscores the need for better educational programs targeting the public, legislators, and even wildlife professionals. Further, illegal movement of pigs remains a major contributor to the continued establishment of wild pig populations in new areas. As control efforts shift into states with abundant wild pig populations and an entrenched culture of wild pig hunting, new approaches to management, expanded educational campaigns, more unified management goals, and additional investments in control efforts will be needed. While complete elimination of wild pigs from their invasive range is unlikely, adoption of these strategies should facilitate further contraction of their range, benefiting native wildlife, ecosystems, and humans.

The investigation of correlations in Monte Carlo power iteration has long been dominated by the question of generational correlations and their effects on the estimation of statistical uncertainties. More recently, there has been a growing interest in spatial correlations, prompted by the discovery of neutron clustering. Despite several attempts, a comprehensive framework concerning how Monte Carlo sampling strategies, population control, and variance reduction methods affect the strength of such correlations is still lacking. In this work, we propose a set of global and local (i.e., space-dependent) tallies that can be used to characterize the impact of correlations. These tallies encompass Shannon entropy, pair distance, normalized variance, and Feynman moment. In order to have a clean yet fully meaningful setting, we carry out our analysis in a few homogeneous and heterogeneous benchmark problems of varying dominance ratio. Several classes of collision sampling strategies, population control, and variance reduction techniques are tested, and their relative advantages and drawbacks are assessed with respect to the proposed tallies. The major finding of our study is that branchless collisions, which suppress the emergence of branches in neutron histories, also considerably reduce the effects of correlations in most of the explored configurations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cell-to-cell heterogeneity in products secretion is a bottleneck for diverse applications in bioengineering, including controlled drug release, biomaterial assembly, and production of recombinant proteins in bioprocesses. Experimental approaches aiming at characterizing cell-to-cell differences in gene expression and protein accumulation can be partially adapted to address heterogeneity in protein secretion. Significant technological bottlenecks need to be addressed to establish an efficient single cell analysis pipeline. Techniques designed for directing cell collective behavior (e.g., microfluidics or flow cytometry with feedback control) could be adapted for directing product secretion by cells. Cell-to-cell heterogeneity presents challenges across various fields, from biomedicine to bioproduction, where precise cellular responses are vital. While single cell technologies have significantly enhanced our understanding of population heterogeneity, the predominant focus has been on monitoring intracellular compounds. Recognizing the added complexity introduced by the secretion system, in this review, we first provide a systematic overview of the distinct steps necessary for driving protein secretion. We discuss the various sources of noise acting from the synthesized preprotein to the secretory protein released based on a Gram-positive cellular system as a model. We next explore the applicability of single cell technologies for monitoring protein secretion throughout these functional stages. We also emphasize the importance of applying these single cell technologies for monitoring protein secretion during bioproduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Aerial shooting is an important tool for managing the economic and environmental impacts of widespread wild fallow deer populations in eastern Australia and could be crucial for mounting an effective response to an emergency animal disease incursion. However, there is a concern that the disturbance caused by aerial shooting could cause infected animals to disperse, thereby transmitting pathogens to previously uninfected areas. Aims: We sought to describe the nature and extent of spatial behavioural changes in fallow deer exposed to aerial shooting to: (1) assess the risk that aerial shooting poses to disease spread, and (2) better understand how aerial shooting can contribute to routine deer management programs. Methods: We contrasted movement rates, activity range areas, and daily activity patterns of 48 GPS-collared fallow deer before, during and after exposure to aerial shooting at three sites in New South Wales. Key results: No collared deer left its pre-shoot activity range area during shooting or within 30 days after shooting finished. Observed behaviour changes included increased daily and hourly distance travelled by female deer during and after shooting, increased activity range areas for female deer after shooting, and increased nocturnal activity in female and male deer during shooting. However, observed changes were minor, temporary, localised, and variable among sites. Conclusions: Collared deer showed strong site fidelity despite repeated intense disturbance and substantial population reductions. We found no evidence to support concerns that aerial shooting poses a hazard of disease spread. Implications: Aerial shooting should be retained as a key control tool for managing wild fallow deer populations in Australia, including for reducing disease host population densities in the event of an emergency animal disease incursion. Aerial shooting is an important tool for reducing the undesirable impacts of wild fallow deer in eastern Australia and could be crucial for responding to an emergency animal disease incursion. GPS-collared deer exposed to aerial shooting showed strong site fidelity during and after shooting, and only minor, temporary changes in behaviour. We found no evidence of deer dispersing, which validates the suitability of the continued use of aerial shooting in deer management and disease control. Photograph by Lee Parker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feminist bioethicists hope for assisted reproductive technologies (ART) to be deployed for emancipatory ends. Funding, liberalization, and non-discriminatory ART access are considered actionable ways to service emancipatory goals that may benefit all aspiring parents. In this paper, however, I will explicate a growing, global threat to the fulfilment of emancipatory ideals in ART practice despite such steps: an uptick of institutionalized pronatalism(s) which situate low fertility as a site of demographic disaster, and which consequently position primarily women’s bodies as both its cause and solution. Under such conditions, ARTs are at risk of being co-opted for harmful and oppressive demographic designs, rather than for emancipatory ends.

Since Antiquity, starting with Plato’s proposition for an ideal state, a series of philosophers, political thinkers and policymakers have fostered a model of the State in which the government is able to control both the will and the bodies of the citizens. This project, as Michel Foucault has shown, has been endorsed and developed in modern times. Contemporary governments have sought a way of organising the complete control of life: from birth to death, throughout one's lifetime. This is how politics have evolved into “Biopolitics” and “Biopower”. With the recent pandemic of COViD 19, this tendency has reached its peak, leading to the emergence of a global transhumanist civilization.

The Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata) is the main pest of citrus fruits, which can also infect other economically priority fruit plant species in an integrated global environment. Numerous populations of this insect contribute to the spread of fungi and microbes that cause secondary damage, such as fruit rot. Infestation of citrus orchards can lead to significant annual losses in crop size and quality. As a quarantine pest with high reproductive potential and spreading ability, the Mediterranean fruit fly is difficult to control and poses a serious threat to Albanian citrus exports due to concerns about infection or insecticide residues. The purpose of this study was to investigate the current state of integrated management of the Mediterranean fruit fly on citrus plants in the Konispol region, using innovative approaches. As part of this objective, the dynamics of the Mediterranean fruit fly population were studied using Trimedlure bait traps. The potential of organic integrated agricultural fruit production in the aspect of pest control was analysed. Integrated pest control programmes were described in detail, including a range of modern, safe population control methods and positioned as innovative, effective strategies for controlling the Mediterranean fruit fly. The study analysed the potential of modern tools and technologies for pest control. The areas of minimising the share of chemical protective equipment in the agricultural management system were outlined. As a result of the experiment, the effectiveness of the technique of mass trapping of pests was established. Comparative analysis of monitoring results at different farm plots was carried out. Based on the obtained data, the potential of management and technological measures to minimise the load on citrus plantations, combining the principles of environmental safety and economic feasibility, with the introduction of the latest systems for controlling and monitoring pest populations, was analysed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Community Service & Empowerment is the property of Journal of Community Service & Empowerment 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.)

Sterilization and castration have been synonyms for thousands of years. Making an animal sterile meant to render them incapable of producing offspring. Castration or the physical removal of the testes was discovered to be the most simple but reliable method for managing reproduction and sexual behavior in the male. Today, there continues to be global utilization of castration in domestic animals. More than six hundred million pigs are castrated every year, and surgical removal of testes in dogs and cats is a routine practice in veterinary medicine. However, modern biological research has extended the meaning of sterilization to include methods that spare testis removal and involve a variety of options, from chemical castration and immunocastration to various methods of vasectomy. This review begins with the history of sterilization, showing a direct link between its practice in man and animals. Then, it traces the evolution of concepts for inducing sterility, where research has overlapped with basic studies of reproductive hormones and the discovery of testicular toxicants, some of which serve as sterilizing agents in rodent pests. Finally, the most recent efforts to use the immune system and gene editing to block hormonal stimulation of testis function are discussed. As we respond to the crisis of animal overpopulation and strive for better animal welfare, these novel methods provide optimism for replacing surgical castration in some species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de la Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales is the property of Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicas y Naturales 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 Islamic government of Iran recently passed and announced a new law titled "Rejuvenation of the Population and Protection of the Family." This legislation is a noteworthy example of biopolitics-influenced biolaw. In terms of abortion, contraception, prenatal screening, and population control, this law clearly contrasts with women's fundamental rights and freedoms and has significant health-related consequences for different sectors of the population. A historical review of the population policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran shows the occurrence of multiple abrupt and radical changes in such policies over the past four decades. This new law, promoted by religious biopolitics, is the most recent example, and places stringent limits on abortion. According to it, all decisions concerning abortion must be made in courts rather than in health clinics. Such courts are typically presided over by male religious scholars. This law also limits prenatal screening to the degree that will increase the rate of genetic defects, especially in the population's lower socioeconomic strata. By strictly limiting access to contraception, this law will increase the rate of unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. This paper argues that such an influence of biopolitics on biolaw contrasts with the principles of bioethics. Still, Iran's current institution of bioethics cannot address it effectively. Therefore, a new model of interaction between bioethics, biopolitics, and biolaw is needed to prevent the detrimental consequences of such pieces of legislation. Such a paradigm shift is demanded by the current "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement of the Iranian people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a review of contemporary philosophical discussions of population policies. The focus is on normative justification, and the main question is whether population policies can be ethically justified. Although few analytical philosophers have directly addressed this question – it has been discussed more in other academic fields – many arguments and considerations can be placed in the analytical philosophical discourse. This article offers a comprehensive review and analysis of ethically relevant aspects of population policies evaluated on the basis of the main ethical theories. This analysis is preceded by a brief historical contextualisation of when and how population policies became ethically contentious and how this relates to philosophical debates in environmental ethics, population ethics and political philosophy. The article also includes a conceptual analysis of population policies in which the empirical intricacies around individual fertility decisions are sorted out and the different ways in which they can be affected are categorised in a taxonomy which highlight the most relevant ethical aspects of population policies. The ethical analysis shows that while population policies can be justified on the basis of most ethical theories, it all depends on what prior assumptions are made about what is at stake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the use of castration as a means of population control for non-human primates where other means may be inefficient, ineffective or otherwise problematic. It is anecdotal in nature, using my experience and some reference to scientific studies for support.

In many Mediterranean cities, man-made structures are an integral part of the landscape mosaic, hence the importance of studying their use by wildlife. In the present study, we aimed to investigate this issue with regard to the White stork (Ciconia ciconia) in Rabat City (Morocco) using data on a series of variables, including clustering, landscape composition, and space, to (i) identify the best predictors that cause variation in the probability of artificial supports use by means of generalized linear mixed models and (ii) assess their importance via variation partitioning. The results revealed a significant interaction between clustering and landscape composition in explaining this probability. As the clustering strength decreases, artificial supports in green villa zones are the most likely to be occupied, in contrast to those close to agricultural areas or wetlands. The decrease of occupied supports clustering at the scale of the landscape is compensated, at the artificial supports scale, by occupying already occupied ones. Partitioning analyses revealed that the joint effect of occupied supports clustering, landscape composition, and space was the most significant in explaining the PAS by WS (Adj. R2 = 0.29). Separately, each set of variables contributes significantly to the occupation of the artificial support, except the landscape composition. Special attention should be paid to (i) identifying factors influencing WS nest density per nesting support and (ii) studying the effect of urban nest-support choices on the reproductive success of WS selection. This would help conservation and manage of the Rabat WS population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild boar (Sus scrofa) population increases have been spectacular in many countries, including France. Wild boar can substantially affect many ecosystem components, including birds, but indicators to monitor such effects are currently lacking. We examined the usefulness of monitoring wild boar foraging traces resulting from rooting behaviour to evaluate wild boar disturbance on ground-nesting birds and developed a simple indicator of kilometric foraging (Ikf). This study measured the effect of wild boar on bird abundance, taking into account vegetation characteristics. Using standardised spot counts, we found ground-nesting bird abundances negatively correlated with Ikf. Our results showed a significant decrease of 45% in ground-nesting bird abundance in areas strongly foraged and disturbed by wild boar. By contrast, the abundance of birds depending on ground or trees for food resources but nesting out of reach of wild boar were not correlated to rooting behaviour traces. Thus, we conclude that Ikf may be a simple and suitable indicator that managers can use on a large scale to monitor wild boar potential disturbance and ecological footprint on ground-nesting birds and other taxa. Further studies are needed to test and validate this new indicator in areas other than the Sainte-Baume Regional Park. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the socio-cultural factors affecting the use of family planning in South West Nigeria. Rapid population growth has been a serious cause for concern in Nigeria and this has made birth control a topical and critical issue in the country. To achieve the objectives of this study, data were collected from primary sources using the quantitative research method. Data was obtained through the use of a semi-structured questionnaire. Purposive sampling method was used to obtain the sample size through the use of a register provided by the health officers in the study area. The respondents were purposively selected on the basis of age, marital status and the length of participation in the family planning programme. A total of 200 respondents were involved in this research. Of the respondents, 34.5% were aged between 27 and 32 years old, 52% were married, 91.5% were from the Yoruba ethnic group, 39% were civil servants, 88.5% were Christians, and 34% had a secondary school leaving certificate. The findings revealed that the majority of the respondents are really aware of and have knowledge of what family planning. Findings revealed that the major socio-cultural factors affecting the utilisation of family planning are cultural values, the extended family system in Nigeria, perceived fear of side effects of contraceptives, educational levels, a lack of male involvement in family planning, early marriage, HIV seropositivity care, religious beliefs and the poverty rate. The study recommended a necessary involvement of men in healthcare programmes designed to improve women's and newborns' health; and the alleviation of fears about the side-effects of family planning among men and women through effective counseling. Awareness campaigns and trainings should be organised for community leaders, religious leaders, civil society groups and health workers on the importance of family planning as a veritable way of population control especially in the rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population policy has taken two divergent trajectories. In the developing part of the world, controlling population growth has been a major tune of the debate more than a half-century ago. In the more developed part of the world, an inverse pattern results in the discussion over the facilitation of population growth. The ethical debates on population policy have primarily focused on the former and ignored the latter. This paper proposes a more comprehensive account that justifies states' population policy interventions. We first consider the reasons that support pro-natalist policies to enhance fertility rates and argue that these policies are ethically problematic. We then establish an ethics of population policy grounded on account of self-sustaining the body politic, which consists of four criteria: survival, replacement, accountability, and solidarity. We discuss the implications of this account regarding birth-control and pro-natalist policies, as well as non-procreative policies such as immigration, adoption, and unintended baby-saving strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sterilization and castration have been synonyms for thousands of years. Making an animal sterile meant to render them incapable of producing offspring. Castration or the physical removal of the testes was discovered to be the most simple but reliable method for managing reproduction and sexual behavior in the male. Today, there continues to be global utilization of castration in domestic animals. More than six hundred million pigs are castrated every year, and surgical removal of testes in dogs and cats is a routine practice in veterinary medicine. However, modern biological research has extended the meaning of sterilization to include methods that spare testis removal and involve a variety of options, from chemical castration and immunocastration to various methods of vasectomy. This review begins with the history of sterilization, showing a direct link between its practice in man and animals. Then, it traces the evolution of concepts for inducing sterility, where research has overlapped with basic studies of reproductive hormones and the discovery of testicular toxicants, some of which serve as sterilizing agents in rodent pests. Finally, the most recent efforts to use the immune system and gene editing to block hormonal stimulation of testis function are discussed. As we respond to the crisis of animal overpopulation and strive for better animal welfare, these novel methods provide optimism for replacing surgical castration in some species.

We consider age-structured models with an imposed refractory period between births. These models can be used to formulate alternative population control strategies to China's one-child policy. By allowing any number of births, but with an imposed delay between births, we show how the total population can be decreased and how a relatively older age distribution can be generated. This delay represents a more 'continuous' form of population management for which the strict one-child policy is a limiting case. Such a policy approach could be more easily accepted by society. Our analyses provide an initial framework for studying demographics and how social constraints influence population structure.

ABSTRACT This essay draws on epistolary documentation, conference proceedings, and U.S. government reports to analyze the correspondence of right-wing “conservative” activists Garrett Hardin and Cordelia S. May, focusing on their obsession with population control and eugenic principles as solutions to the growing ecological disasters of the 1960s through the early 2000s. These individuals engaged in negotiations and made decisions that helped shape public support for draconian population control policies and practices based on eugenics. These sources provide new insights into how a group of influential intellectuals, financiers, and self-proclaimed environmentalists worked to build a white, elite, heteronormative, and empowered smart society for the future, despite their inability to keep population control on the national agenda.

The challenge posed by global population growth has been clear to most scientists since at least the 1950s. In the 1970s, it became conventional wisdom that “the population explosion” constituted a threat to humanity and to sound social, economic and ecological development. This conviction was clearly demonstrated at UN conferences on the environment (1972) and population (1974). It was also confirmed in the important UN report Our Common Future, presented by the Brundtland Commission in 1987. Since the 1990s, international interest in population issues has decreased dramatically and has even become a taboo in certain academic and political discourses. This paper will try to analyze some of the reasons for these changes in attitudes and will present proposals on how to push the population issue back on to the international agenda.

Long-Term Contraceptive Method is a contraceptive that can be used for a long time, which is more than three years used to delay, minimize pregnancy, and stop fertility, which includes IUD, Implant and steady contraception, this study aims to determine the factors associated with the use of Long-Term Contraceptive Method in Sukabumi City. The purpose of this study is to determine the strategy of the Office of Population Control, Family Planning, Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (DP2KBP3A) in achieving the target of the long-term contraceptive method program in Sukabumi City. This study used descriptive qualitative methods with observational data collection techniques, interviews and documentation. Data analysis was carried out by snowball sampling technique, namely by determining informants who were initially small in number and then enlarged. The results of this study measured by strategy indicators by Mintzberg et al (2003) show that the Agency in achieving the targets of the MKJP program begins with planning, implementing and evaluating. However, in the implementation there are still some obstacles. Existing programs have helped in the process of implementing long-term contraceptive method programs. But not yet fully optimized. Therefore, it is necessary to expand the range of strategies, so that the program of long-term contraceptive methods is maximized.

Simple Summary: Surgical anesthetic management during short-term procedures such as sterilization is highly relevant due to the hemodynamic, cardiorespiratory, and autonomic alterations that could be present. In the case of sterilization aimed at free-roaming cats, a drug combination to provide hypnosis, analgesia, and autonomic balance can reduce these anesthetic risks. Cat neutering through trap-neuter-return (TNR) programs is a non-lethal alternative for free-roaming cat population control. This study is an evaluation of anesthesia used in the high-quality, high-volume spay and neuter (HQHVSN) model of a TNR program for free-roaming cats in Seoul, Korea. A combination of tiletamine-zolazepam, ketamine, and xylazine (ZKX) was intramuscularly administered to obtain anesthesia. The evaluation was based on the records of 1261 cats with complete records of the injected volume of anesthetics and times, out of a total of 1361 cats. The study confirmed the safety and efficacy of the ZKX combination administered IM in a TNR program in the HQHVSN model and provided a range of appropriate doses. This will enable TNR programs to be more effective and contribute to a stable free-roaming cat population that can be successfully controlled for welfare. This study was performed to evaluate the anesthetic protocol used in the high-quality, high-volume spay and neuter (HQHVSN) of free-roaming cats in Seoul, Korea from 2017 to 2022. The evaluation was performed on a total of 1261 free-roaming cats, with an average weight of 3.48 ± 1.04 kg. The anesthetic combination tiletamine-zolazepam, ketamine, and xylazine (ZKX) was injected intramuscularly. The actual drug doses administered were tiletamine-zolazepam 5.52 ± 1.70 mg/kg, ketamine 8.94 ± 3.60 mg/kg, and xylazine 1.11 ± 0.34 mg/kg. Additional doses were required in 275 cats out of a total of 1261 (21.8%). Following anesthesia and surgery, 1257 cats (99.7%) were returned to their original locations. Four cats (0.3%) died postoperatively. The mean duration of anesthesia (from ZKX combination to yohimbine administration) was 26 ± 22 min for males and 55 ± 36 min for females, while the time from yohimbine administration to the recovery was 31 ± 22 min for males and 20 ± 17 min for females. The use of ZKX for HQHVSN of free-roaming cats is inexpensive, provides predictable results, can be administered quickly and easily in a small volume, and is associated with a low mortality rate during the first 72 h post-surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since Antiquity, starting with Plato's proposition for an ideal state, a series of philosophers, political thinkers and policymakers have fostered a model of the State in which the government is able to control both the will and the bodies of the citizens. This project, as Michel Foucault has shown, has been endorsed and developed in modern times. Contemporary governments have sought a way of organising the complete control of life: from birth to death, throughout one's lifetime. This is how politics have evolved into "Biopolitics" and "Biopower". With the recent pandemic of COViD 19, this tendency has reached its peak, leading to the emergence of a global transhumanist civilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economic and environmental impacts of wildlife are increasing in parallel with renewed public interest in non-lethal methods, such as fertility control, to manage these impacts. The Wildlife Research 2008 Special Issue on Fertility Control for Wildlife (Vol. 35) published following the 6th International Conference on Fertility Control for Wildlife held in 2007 in York, United Kingdom, reported studies on the effects of contraceptives on individual animals and populations, with most papers focusing on ungulates. In the past 15 years, significant progress has been made in developing novel contraceptives for wildlife and in designing methods to deliver these agents. Concurrently, the general debate on wildlife management has widened to include public attitudes and perceptions of novel and traditional methods, animal welfare issues, costs, feasibility, and regulatory and ethical issues. These developments have broadened our understanding of contexts and species for which fertility control could be employed, either as a stand-alone method or to complement other population management options. These topics were reflected in the presentations given at the 9th International Conference on Wildlife Fertility Control, held in Colorado Springs (USA) in 2022. Here, we introduce a special issue featuring selected presentations from the 2022 conference. These studies showcase the wide spectrum of topics that covered novel contraceptives tested on several species, ranging from mice to elephants. They also illustrate new methods to deliver contraceptives, models on the impact of fertility control on populations, feasibility, cost of practical applications of fertility control, discussions on animal welfare and human dimension of these approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The common pigeon (Columba livia var. domestica) is a synurbic species widely distributed around the world. High local densities of pigeons have negative impacts on animal and public health. Urban pigeon fouling also damages buildings and infrastructures, resulting in increased maintenance costs. Although the reduction of food and shelter would be the most effective control method, it does not apply in most cases where the amount ofshelter and food can be unlimited and control very difficult achieve. However, a reduction and control of the population by fertility control using nicarbazin (NCZ, Ovistop®) could be achieved without the need to capture and remove any specimens. Aim and methods. The aims of this study were (1) to describe the experience of up to 8 years of use of fertility control by NCZ on pigeon numbers in 24 towns and cities in Catalonia (Spain), (2) to assess the potential for non-target species to be affected by NCZ, and (3) to quantify the costs of implementing local population control of urban pigeons via NCZ. Local number of pigeons was estimated via population censuses. Key results. From the beginning of the treatment, a significant steady decreasing trend (average of −12% per year) in the pigeon abundance was registered. In very few instances, non-target birds species were observed to feed on NCZ. Conclusions and implications. NZC was an effective and selective method of animal welfare to reduce the total number of pigeons in the municipalities included in this study, while not affecting other non-target species. The estimated cost of the annual treatment was €33.6 per pigeon; in 68% of the municipalities, the total annual cost was halved after 3 years of treatment. The findings of this study are in agreement with previous experiences controlling pigeon colonies by using NCZin other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, African savanna elephants have been assessed as ‘endangered’. Consequently, additional threats and losses due to human–elephant conflict (HEC) could further exacerbate the species’ decline. In stark contrast, South Africa’s elephant populations are mostly confined within fencedin reserves that impede natural processes such as migration. As ecosystem engineers, elephant population growth herein should be limited. Within South Africa, elephant management has evolved as differing wildlife philosophies from utilitarian conservation (‘nature for man’) to biocentric preservation (‘nature for nature’) and a combination thereof, have been practiced. Traditionally, both HEC and population control have been largely synonymous with lethal control, i.e. culling. However, with the increase of public or expert input to Policy, lethal control is not favoured by the public. As an alternative, immunocontraception of female African savanna elephants through non-invasive, native porcine zona pellucida (pZP) vaccinations has been employed successfully and is currently adopted in 43 elephant reserves across South Africa. Current legislation now recommends culling as the last population management resort. Newly promulgated legislation calls for wellbeing and welfare to be carefully measured in all biodiversity management decisions taken to minimise threatsto biodiversity. As a keystone species, elephant is a direct driver of biodiversity change. Accordingly, and in light of these developments, all population management options, including immunocontraception, must be fully considered in South Africa’s largest national park, the Kruger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Invasive species negatively affect natural communities and human activities. The grey squirrel is an invasive species in the UK, causing damage to forestry and the decline of the native red squirrel. Oral contraceptives have the potential to reduce numbers of grey squirrels; however, to be effective a sufficient proportion of a population must consume a bait containing contraceptives. Aims. The objective of this study was to estimate the efficacy of delivering baits via feeders to grey squirrels and to determine the factors most important to bait uptake. Methods. Bait uptake was measured using the bait marker Rhodamine B mixed with 100% hazelnut butter and delivered to grey squirrels via purpose-designed feeders. Different concentrations of Rhodamine B were first trialled on captive grey squirrels for their palatability and detectability in the hair. Bait-uptake field trials were then conducted in 10 UK woodlands by using the preferred concentration. Key results. In captive trials, it was found that a concentration of 0.18% Rhodamine B mixed in hazelnut butter was palatable to grey squirrels and that individuals needed to consume only small amounts (<5 g) for it to be detected in the flank hair by using an ultraviolet microscope. It was possible to deliver bait to the majority of grey squirrels in 6 of 10 woods within 4 days. Season, feeder density and squirrel density were important factors affecting bait uptake, with more squirrels consuming bait in summer than in winter and from three feeders per hectare rather than from one per hectare. Conclusions. This study demonstrated that baits delivered via feeders can target the majority of grey squirrels in woodland environments. Implications. Oral contraceptives could offer a cost-effective tool to reduce numbers of grey squirrels across the UK landscape and mitigate the negative impacts they have on native wildlife and tree health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Suckermouth catfish are invasive alien species in Malaysia with rapid population propagation, causing negative impacts on the local ecology and economy. Presently, there are no available methods to sufficiently control their populations. The aim of this study is to explore the potential of suckermouth catfish as a source of ingredients for the pharmaceutical industry, which could encourage their utilisation and indirectly control their population. Methods: In this study, acid-soluble collagen extraction was carried out, followed by identification tests, yield calculations, and some basic physical characteristic tests. Results: The extracted collagen was described as off-white and had a strong acetic acid odour. The mean yield of collagen on a wet basis was 10±2.3%, with a hydroxyproline content of 1.6%, while the viscosity and pH of a 20% collagen solution were 0.6±0.25 mPa.s and 5.51±0.1, respectively, comparable to previous studies using various species of fish. Heavy metal contents of the extracted collagen were also found to be within the acceptable limits for use in pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications. Conclusion: This study concludes that the skin of suckermouth catfish is a promising source of collagen for potential industrial applications. However, further studies are needed to improve the yield and purity and establish the physicochemical characteristics, safety, and applications of the extracted collagen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, dietary inflammatory index (DII) has been introduced as a significant risk factor for MS. We examined the interaction between dietary inflammatory index and some formerly demonstrated key risk factors of multiple sclerosis (MS). We conducted a population-based incident case–control study of 547 MS cases and 1057 controls. Multiplicative and additive interaction were assessed using interaction term in the logistic regression model and synergy index (SI), respectively. Additive interaction was detected between DII and drug abuse (SI = 2.58; 95% CI: 1.14–5.82), gender (SI = 2.00; 95% CI: 1.39–2.87) and history of depression (SI = 1.68; 95% CI: 1.04–2.72) on the risk scale. The risk of MS in drug abusers with DII ≥ 0 was 10.4-times higher than that in non-drug abusers with DII < 0 (OR = 10.4, 95% CI: 5.12–21.02, P < 0.001). We also found that women with DII ≥ 0 had a 9.2 times larger risk compared with the men with DII < 0(OR = 9.2, 95% CI: 6.3–13.5, P < 0.001). Similarly, the risk of MS was remarkably higher in those with a history of depression and DII >0 (OR = 7.6, 95% CI: 5.1–11.5, P < 0.001). There was no evidence of multiplicative interaction between DII and the other risk factors of MS on the risk scale. We identified additive interaction between DII and drug abuse, gender and history of depression on MS. Further studies are needed to understand the underlying mechanisms of these detected interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Soccer is a high-speed contact sport with risk of injury. Despite long-standing concern, evidence to date remains inconsistent as to the association between playing professional-level soccer and lifelong musculoskeletal consequences. Aims The objectives were to assess risk of osteoarthritis in former professional soccer players compared to matched general population controls, and subsequently assess associated musculoskeletal disorders which may contribute to, or result from, osteoarthritis—specifically meniscal injury and joint replacement. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study using national electronic health records (EHRs) on a cohort of 7676 former professional soccer players aged 40 or over at recruitment, matched on year of birth, sex (all male) and socio-economic status with 23 028 general population controls. Outcomes of interest were obtained by utilizing individual-level record linkage to EHRs from general hospital inpatient and day-case admissions. Results Compared to controls, former soccer players showed a greater risk of hospital admission for osteoarthritis (hazard ratio [HR] 3.01; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.80–3.25; P  < 0.001). This increased risk appeared age dependant, normalizing over age 80 years and reflective of increased risk of lower limb osteoarthritis. Further, risk of hospital admissions for meniscal injury (HR 2.73; 95% CI 2.42–3.08; P  < 0.001) and joint replacement (HR 2.82; 95% CI 2.23–3.57; P  < 0.001) were greater among former soccer players. Conclusions We report an increased risk of lower limb osteoarthritis in former soccer players when compared with matched population controls. The results of this research add data in support of lower limb osteoarthritis among former soccer players representing a potential industrial injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The challenge posed by global population growth has been clear to most scientists since at least the 1950s. In the 1970s, it became conventional wisdom that "the population explosion" constituted a threat to humanity and to sound social, economic and ecological development. This conviction was clearly demonstrated at UN conferences on the environment (1972) and population (1974). It was also confirmed in the important UN report Our Common Future, presented by the Brundtland Commission in 1987. Since the 1990s, international interest in population issues has decreased dramatically and has even become a taboo in certain academic and political discourses. This paper will try to analyze some of the reasons for these changes in attitudes and will present proposals on how to push the population issue back on to the international agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the use of castration as a means of population control for non-human primates where other means may be inefficient, ineffective or otherwise problematic. It is anecdotal in nature, using my experience and some reference to scientific studies for support.

In this research paper, the author analyzes the actions taken on behalf of the Russian government in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. In particular, attention is paid to measures such as the pseudo-referendums held at the end of September 2022 in the east and south-east of Ukraine, the Kremlin’s propaganda, the policy of the occupiers related to the establishment of pro-Russian administrations, control of the local population, deportation of Ukrainians, the distribution of Russian passports, the introduction of a Russian education system and other measures of Russification as well as mass violations of the fundamental principles of human rights. In October 2022, the Russian State Duma unanimously supported the incorporation of the so-called “Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics” and Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions into the Russian Federation. After the pseudo-referendums held in the four temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, on September 30, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed “agreements” with the representatives of the occupation regime on the acceptance of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions into Russia. The documents were published on October 3, but it remained unclear where, in the occupants’ opinion, the borders of Russia now lay in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. These actions contradict the basic principles of international law on the territorial integrity of a state and the inviolability of borders. The results of the “referendums” were not recognized by any country in the world, including the closest allies of the Kremlin such as Belarus, or even those countries that had recognized Abkhazia and the so-called “independence” of South Ossetia (Venezuela, Nicaragua, Syria, Nauru). Accordingly, the holding of pseudo-referendums is another weak attempt by Russia to impoverish Ukraine’s statehood, especially since Russia lost control of a significant portion of its “newly-joined territories” as a result of bold actions on the part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Population management is becoming critically important for species that inhabit urban areas, particularly due to the public health risks they pose. The South American coatis (Nasua nasua), recognized as synanthropic species in Brazil, have raised increasing concerns due to their cohabitation with humans, especially in recreational settings such as parks, where the potential for zoonotic disease transmission is heightened. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a minimally invasive sterilization method for female South American coatis, employing tubal ligation via mini-laparotomy. A total of nine females were selected for this procedure, which was performed in both an ecological park and a zoo setting. The techniques employed involved either the application of titanium hemostatic clips (n = 2) or a nylon suture (n = 7). The results demonstrated that the nylon suture technique was not only quicker (12.7 ± 1.7 vs. 47.5 ± 2.5 min) and more cost-effective but also maintained effective contraception. There were no recorded instances of pregnancy among the sterilized females, whether they were later exposed to males in captivity or recaptured in the wild. Furthermore, the procedure did not alter the social dynamics or sexual behaviors of the coatis upon their return to their natural habitat. The methods used in this study were proven to be safe, enabling quick recovery and showing no post-surgical complications, highlighting their viability for managing populations of synanthropic species in urban environments.

Forced sterilization was common practice in Peru in the 1990s, especially under the national reproductive health and family planning program developed in the midst of the armed conflict (1980–2000). However, in spite of the concomitant serious violations of fundamental rights, this practice was not included in the investigations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Recently published images, videos, testimonies, and texts provide new evidence regarding the role of the armed forces in these eugenic procedures, the largest state-run population control program in the Americas. La esterilización forzada fue una práctica común en el Perú durante la década de 1990, especialmente dentro del marco del programa nacional de salud reproductiva y planificación familiar que se desarrolló en medio del conflicto armado (1980-2000). Sin embargo, a pesar de las concomitantes graves violaciones a los derechos humanos fundamentales, esta práctica no fue incluida en las investigaciones de la Comisión de la Verdad y la Reconciliación. Imágenes, videos, testimonios y textos recientemente publicados nos dan nuevas evidencias en torno al papel de las fuerzas armadas en estos procedimientos eugenésicos y lo que fuera el programa estatal de control de población más grande de las Américas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Far-Right Pagans, like most other contemporary Pagans, view their spirituality as earth-based. They are concerned about the environment, however that concern is integrated with their politics of White Supremacy. Based on my research of their online discourse, I find that they use four major themes to frame the environmental crisis: (1) The embrace of human beings as part of the natural world and not above it. (2) The acceptance of natural laws as the basis of ethical behavior. (3) A focus on purity and (4) a view that immigration and more generally human population needs to be limited to protect the environment. All of these to a greater or lesser degree can be found as aspects of the larger environmental movement. They, however, take a particular twist within the extremist logic and agenda of the far-right that is used to justify their radical solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the contribution of two pioneering women, Dhanvanthi Rama Rau and Margaret Sanger in shaping the official Family Planning Programme (FPP) of India. Rau, popularly known as the 'Mother of India's Family Planning', was at the forefront of the debates on birth control. From the early twentieth century, Rau was in correspondence with Margaret Sanger—eugenist and the messiah of medicalised birth control from the United States of America (USA). Based on archival collections from various libraries in India and the USA, this article attempts to explore the concerns of Rau and Sanger in raising questions about population control 1 and family planning in India. The concern of improving the health of mothers and children was, for them, a scaffolding on which to build the agenda of population control. As their advocacy of contraception was shaped by eugenic 2 and neo-Malthusian ideas, they were successful in institutionalising a programme of family planning that called for an immediate reduction in the birth rate. This was to be achieved through gendered population control policies and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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