scholarly journals Use of Anthropogenic Nest Materials by Black-crested Titmice Along an Urban Gradient

Author(s):  
Madi P. Vasquez ◽  
Rebekah J. Rylander ◽  
Jacquelyn M. Tleimat ◽  
Sarah Fritts

Numerous avian species use anthropogenic materials in constructing nests, particularly in urbanized environments. Anthropogenic materials, including plastics, have been demonstrated to have both beneficial and harmful effects on survival and reproduction. During the spring of 2018, we collected 45 Black-crested Titmouse Baeolophus atricristatus nests in San Marcos, TX, U.S. with two objectives: 1) assess and compare the mass and proportion of nest materials along an urban gradient, and 2) examine the relationship between nest materials, clutch size, and hatching success. We categorized each nest based on collection location as either urban, residential, park or rural and separated nest materials into six categories: leaves, snakeskin, twigs, moss, plastic, and non-plastic artificial materials. We then compared raw mass and proportion of mass of each nest material among urbanization categories. Nests in the urban category were 1.6-1.9 times lighter in mass than nests in other locations along the urban gradient (p = 0.01) and contained 4-5 times greater proportion, but not mass, of plastic compared to nests in all other locations. Nests in residential areas contained the greatest mass of combined anthropogenic materials. Neither clutch size nor hatching success differed based on urbanization category, nest mass, or proportions of anthropogenic or natural nest materials. The differences in mass of nests and increased proportion of plastics could have been due to a lack of natural nesting materials however, we did not estimate availability of nesting materials at any location. Results add to the growing literature that the use of anthropogenic materials in nests varies across an urban gradient, and the effect of anthropogenic materials on nesting parameters varies among species.

1970 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 80-96
Author(s):  
Mayara Motta Melo ◽  
Clarissa Santos de Carvalho Ribeiro

RESUMOA incidência do câncer de pele vem aumentando a cada ano. Sabe-se que entre outros fatores, a radiação solar é a principal responsável pelo desenvolvimento dessa patologia. A prevenção, feita através da fotoproteção, teria grande impacto nesse cenário. No entanto, as orientações sobre como se proteger dos malefícios do sol devem ser coerentes com a incidência solar da região, os hábitos da população e o fototipo da pele. Os conceitos sobre fotoproteção foram definidos por entidades européias e norte americanas e não devem ser reproduzidos para o Brasil de forma aleatória, pois a incidência solar no Brasil é muito maior, a população tem fototipos diferentes e o hábito de se expor ao sol é muito mais frequente. Portanto, faz-se necessário elaborar conceitos próprios para o Brasil e conscientizar a população sobre os perigos da radiação solar para que a incidência do câncer de pele reduza definitivamente. Essa revisão visa mostrar a relação da radiação solar no Brasil com a pele dos brasileiros e evidenciar a importância da fotoproteção para essa população. Para isso foi feito um levantamento de artigos originais, revisões de literatura, consensos brasileiros e internacionais e livros de dermatologia.Palavras-chave: Fotoproteção, Câncer de pele, Exposição solar, Radiação ultravioleta, Vitamina D. ABSTRACTThe incidence of skin cancer is increasing every year. It is known that among other factors, solar radiation is the main responsible for the development of this pathology. Prevention, made by photoprotection, would have great impact in this scenario. However, the guidelines on how to protect themselves from the sun's harmful effects should be consistent with the sunlight of the region, the habits of the population and the phototype skin. The concepts of photoprotection were defined by European and North American entities and should not be played for Brazil at random, as the solar incidence in Brazil is much higher, people have different skin types and the habit of sun exposure is much more frequent. Therefore, it is necessary to draw up own concepts for Brazil and raise awareness about the dangers of solar radiation, so that the incidence of skin cancer can be definitely reduced. This review aims to show the relationship of solar radiation in Brazil with the skin of Brazilian and to highlight the importance of sun protection for this population. With this purpose, it was  made a survey of original articles, literature reviews , Brazilian and international consensus and dermatology books.Keywords: Photoprotection, Skin cancer, Sun exposure, Ultraviolet radiation, D vitamin.


Author(s):  
Kristina Noreikienė ◽  
Kim Jaatinen ◽  
Benjamin B. Steele ◽  
Markus Öst

AbstractGlucocorticoid hormones may mediate trade-offs between current and future reproduction. However, understanding their role is complicated by predation risk, which simultaneously affects the value of the current reproductive investment and elevates glucocorticoid levels. Here, we shed light on these issues in long-lived female Eiders (Somateria mollissima) by investigating how current reproductive investment (clutch size) and hatching success relate to faecal glucocorticoid metabolite [fGCM] level and residual reproductive value (minimum years of breeding experience, body condition, relative telomere length) under spatially variable predation risk. Our results showed a positive relationship between colony-specific predation risk and mean colony-specific fGCM levels. Clutch size and female fGCM were negatively correlated only under high nest predation and in females in good body condition, previously shown to have a longer life expectancy. We also found that younger females with longer telomeres had smaller clutches. The drop in hatching success with increasing fGCM levels was least pronounced under high nest predation risk, suggesting that elevated fGCM levels may allow females to ensure some reproductive success under such conditions. Hatching success was positively associated with female body condition, with relative telomere length, particularly in younger females, and with female minimum age, particularly under low predation risk, showing the utility of these metrics as indicators of individual quality. In line with a trade-off between current and future reproduction, our results show that high potential for future breeding prospects and increased predation risk shift the balance toward investment in future reproduction, with glucocorticoids playing a role in the resolution of this trade-off.


2020 ◽  
Vol 168 (12) ◽  
pp. 900-910
Author(s):  
Eduardo G. Virla ◽  
María B. Aguirre ◽  
Guido A. Van Nieuwenhove ◽  
Erica B. Luft Albarracin ◽  
Guillermo A. Logarzo

1982 ◽  
Vol 90 (6) ◽  
pp. 814-818 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tetsuo Morizono ◽  
Michael A. Sikora

Possible harmful effects of a high-cholesterol diet on auditory function were suggested by our previous work in rabbits, in which evoked potentials were measured from a chronic electrode inserted into the inferior colliculus. However, serum cholesterol levels in those rabbits tended to be extraordinarily high, ie, more than 1,500 mg/dL. Chinchillas were used in the present work as an animal model to study the relationship between hypercholesterolemia and auditory dysfunction. One percent cholesterol in standard Chinchow was fed to chinchillas for three months. The experimental groups showed a high mean cholesterol level of 437 ± 394 mg/dL (N = 9). Isopotential curve of the cochlear microphonics, threshold of action potentials (AP), and endocochlear DC potential did not differ from those in the control group. When moderately intense sound (12 kHz, 95 dB SPL) was given for ten minutes, however, the reduction in AP threshold was significantly greater (P=.036) in the cholesterol group. It is postulated that hypercholesterolemia may be one of the factors involved in differential susceptibility to noise.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond Boateng

Previous research outlined that historical representations of different groups underlie stereotypes and prejudice. Considering the gap in the literature on historical representations and their potential impact on the well-being of Africans, we hypothesised that historical representations of Africans and perceptions of these representations among Africans (N = 225 in Europe relate to well-being outcomes in that population. Furthermore, we predicted that the relationship between historical representations and well-being is mediated by stereotype confirmation concerns and social identification. Consistent with our predictions, historical representations were associated with poorer well-being. Particularly, historical representations were related to increased anxiety and low self-esteem through their relationship with stereotype confirmation concerns. Social identity mitigated the harmful effects of historical representations on self-esteem. However, social identity did not mediate the association between historical representations and anxiety. Our findings highlight the effects of historical representations on well-being.


Author(s):  
Dewi Nuryanti Fazrin ◽  
Hasim Hasim ◽  
Juliana Juliana

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the length and weight of Manggabai fish (Glossogobius giuris) and to know the relationship between the presence of Manggabai fish (Glossogobius giuris) and water quality in Limboto Lake. This research was conducted in February 2019, located in the waters of Lake Limboto, Gorontalo Province. The method used in determining the location of sampling is Purposive Sampling. Fish sampling is determined by considering fishing locations, litoral areas, the presence of residential areas, agricultural and plantation areas, the existence of floating net cages and in the middle of the lake. The study was conducted at 20 observation stations using fish traps in the form of bamboo and used motorcycle tires that have been modified and become traditional fishing gear. The results showed that the physical and chemical parameters in Lake Limboto and showed temperature values ​​ranged from 29.77 to 31.630C, dissolved oxygen levels ranged from 2.1 to 5.48 ppm, pH ranged from 7.09 to 8.94, TDS ranging from 0.251 to 0.369, Nitrite Levels 0.04-0.08 ppm, Nitrate Levels 1.2-4.7 ppm, BOD ranges from 2.5-57 ppm and phosphate levels 0.1-1.14 ppm. The relationship between length and body weight of fish are allometric, where W = 0.8769 L10,023 and constant b (10,023)> 3.


2021 ◽  
Vol 325 ◽  
pp. 01023
Author(s):  
Rizki Adriadi Ghiffari ◽  
Haryo Dwito Armono

Coastal erosion is the process of land erosion in coastal areas due to waves and ocean currents which reduce land and can adversely affect socio-economic activities in coastal areas. Coastal erosion risk assessment in the estuary is a development of previous research, because the erosion and accretion processes do not only occur along the shoreline, but also on the side facing river water bodies, due to the confluence of fluvial and marine processes. The landward shift of the shoreline in the Muara Asam Asam coastal area has reached 90 meters in the last 28 years, and has been detrimental because the area is a densely populated area with major economic activities in the fisheries and agriculture sectors. This study aims to determine the coastal erosion risk level zones based on the relationship among vulnerability and consequence parameters, through distance decay weighted based method. The results indicate that Muara Asam Asam has high risk zones of coastal erosion, especially in densely populated residential areas and dry land agriculture on the west side of the estuary, due to the lack of implementation of preventive measures through hard coastal structure and coastal zoning policy to protect socio-economic activities and coastal ecological environments.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (36) ◽  
pp. 23-31
Author(s):  
Abdurrahman Kharbat ◽  
Stephen Rossettie ◽  
Mimi Zumwalt

This paper discusses factors involved in COVID-19 pathophysiology, with a focus on nutrition, exercise, enzymatic antioxidant systems, and the interplay between immune tolerance and resistance. Of all the supplements, zinc has the most evidence for effectiveness against viruses. However, these data were based primarily on studies measuring duration of the common cold rather than on COVID-19, and optimal dosing remains unclear. Exercise has been shown to have protective tolerogenic effects against viral infection due to the impact of extracellular superoxide dismutases (EC-SODs). Exercise may have a combination of beneficial and harmful effects on outright resistance to viruses in the short term, but taken as a whole it likely has a net protective effect on the immune system. The evidence is examined through the lens of the open window theory and a thorough investigation of the relationship between EC-SODs and exercise/diet. By better understanding the host-virus relationship, clinicians and researchers alike can collaborate to establish guiding principles regarding the steps that individuals can take to protect against some of the deleterious effects of viral infections. More research in this area is needed to understand the relationships among exercise, nutrition, and viral disease. Keywords: COVID-19, SARS CoV-2, nutrition, zinc, EC-SODs, superoxide dismutase, exercise, enzymatic antioxidant/immune systems


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