@article {pmid35774139, year = {2022}, author = {Gallego-Abenza, M and Boucherie, PH and Bugnyar, T}, title = {Early social environment affects attention to social cues in juvenile common ravens, Corvus corax.}, journal = {Royal Society open science}, volume = {9}, number = {6}, pages = {220132}, doi = {10.1098/rsos.220132}, pmid = {35774139}, issn = {2054-5703}, abstract = {Social competence, i.e. defined as the ability to adjust the expression of social behaviour to the available social information, is known to be influenced by early-life conditions. Brood size might be one of the factors determining such early conditions, particularly in species with extended parental care. We here tested in ravens whether growing up in families of different sizes affects the chicks' responsiveness to social information. We experimentally manipulated the brood size of 13 captive raven families, creating either small or large families. Simulating dispersal, juveniles were separated from their parents and temporarily housed in one of two captive non-breeder groups. After five weeks of socialization, each raven was individually tested in a playback setting with food-associated calls from three social categories: sibling, familiar unrelated raven they were housed with, and unfamiliar unrelated raven from the other non-breeder aviary. We found that individuals reared in small families were more attentive than birds from large families, in particular towards the familiar unrelated peer. These results indicate that variation in family size during upbringing can affect how juvenile ravens value social information. Whether the observed attention patterns translate into behavioural preferences under daily life conditions remains to be tested in future studies.}, }
@article {pmid35771525, year = {2022}, author = {Baciadonna, L and Jerwood, GM and Farrar, BG and Clayton, NS and Emery, NJ}, title = {Investigation of mirror-self recognition in ravens (Corvus corax).}, journal = {Journal of comparative psychology (Washington, D.C. : 1983)}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1037/com0000319}, pmid = {35771525}, issn = {1939-2087}, support = {//Templeton World Charity Foundation/ ; }, abstract = {Large-brained birds, such as corvids and parrots, tend to fail tests for self-recognition (mirror self-recognition [MSR]), but the limited positive evidence for MSR in these species has been questioned due to methodological limitations. In the present study, we aimed to investigate MSR in ravens by performing three mirror tests: a mirror exposure test, a mirror preference test, and a mark test. Across all three tests, the ravens' behavior was not consistent with MSR. Three out of six ravens infrequently interacted with the mirror and the nonmirror surfaces. Two birds explored the mirror and occasionally displayed contingent behaviors. Finally, the ravens made very few social displays toward the mirror, suggesting that at this stage they did not treat their reflection as a conspecific. These findings, along with the current evidence available, raise further questions on the validity of relying on one test to establish self-recognition and call for the development of methods beyond mirror tests to explore self-recognition in nonhuman animals. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).}, }
@article {pmid35771112, year = {2022}, author = {Zhang, Y and Peng, S and Ren, Y and Yao, T and Chu, H and Gao, Y and Tian, X}, title = {First report of Pseudomonas palleroniana causing potato soft rot in China.}, journal = {Plant disease}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1094/PDIS-04-22-0816-PDN}, pmid = {35771112}, issn = {0191-2917}, abstract = {Slimy potato (Solanum tuberosum) tubers with a foul-smelling odor were obtained from a potato field during harvest in Huize county (25.94°N; 103.40°E), Yunnan province, China in August 2021. The incidence of symptomatic potato tubers was approximately 5% while no symptoms were observed on potato stems. To isolate the causal agent, potato tubers were surface-disinfected and infected tissues were mashed in a 15 ml sterile centrifuge tube with 2 ml sterile distilled water. After a series of dilutions, a volume of 200 μl bacterial suspension from each dilution was spread on nutrient agar (NA) medium and incubated at 28 °C for 48 h. Single colonies randomly selected from NA plates were then picked and separately subcultured in nutrient broth (NB) medium. Pure cultures were acquired by successive streaking on NA medium. The colonies with irregular shapes were white and opaque (Fig. S1A). Among all the isolates, strain Q1 exhibited pectinolytic activity on inoculated potato tubers using a pin prick method with an inoculum concentration of 108 CFU/ml while no symptoms appeared for the control group using sterile water (Fig. S1B). However, no obvious pits were observed for strain Q1 when tested on crystal violet pectin (CVP) medium. To further identify the strain Q1, total DNA was extracted using the TaKaRa MiniBEST Bacteria Genomic DNA Extraction Kit. PCR amplification of 16S rDNA of strain Q1 was performed using the universal PCR primer pair 27F/1492R and followed by Sanger sequencing. The BLASTn analysis of the sequence (NCBI accession number ON631256) based on NCBI rRNA/ITS databases revealed 100% query coverage and 99.78% identity to the 16S rDNA sequences of type strain Pseudomonas tolaasii ATCC 33618 and Pseudomonas palleroniana CFBP 4389, respectively. Whole-genome sequencing of strain Q1 was then performed using the Illumina and Nanopore sequencing platform. A single contig (NCBI accession number CP092411) with a length of approx. 6.2 MB was obtained by de novo assembly using Raven (v1.5.1) (Vaser and Šikić 2021) and Pilon (v1.24) (Walker et al. 2014). The completeness and redundancy of this assembly was evaluated by BUSCO (v5.2.2) (Manni et al. 2021), and a score of 100% completeness indicated a high quality of the assembly. The genome sequence of strain Q1 was uploaded to the Type Strain Genome Server (TYGS) for a whole genome-based taxonomic analysis (Meier-Kolthoff and Göker 2019). The distance-based phylogeny revealed that strain Q1 is well clustered together with Pseudomonas palleroniana (Fig. S1C). Furthermore, a digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) value (86.9%) between strain Q1 and P. palleroniana was above the species boundary (≥70%), indicating that strain Q1 should be classified as P. palleroniana. In addition, P. palleroniana was re-isolated from potato tubers inoculated using a pin prick method with an inoculum concentration of 108 CFU/ml and was identified by morphological similarities and 16s rDNA sequencing described above, thus fulfilling Koch's postulates. Furthermore, aerial stem rot symptoms were observed after 3-5 days post inoculation of strain Q1 with a concentration of 108 CFU/ml on stems of young potato plants using a pin prick method (Fig. S1D). Notably, a couple of Pseudomonas spp. have been reported to cause soft rot in carrot (Godfrey and Marshall 2002) and melon (Zhang et al. 2016). To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. palleroniana causing soft rot on potato tuber in China.}, }
@article {pmid35766267, year = {2022}, author = {}, title = {Expression of Concern: Optimized lung tumor diagnosis system using enhanced version of crow search algorithm, Zernike moments, and support vector machine.}, journal = {Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Part H, Journal of engineering in medicine}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {9544119221105206}, doi = {10.1177/09544119221105206}, pmid = {35766267}, issn = {2041-3033}, }
@article {pmid35753785, year = {2022}, author = {Kuroha, Y and Takahashi, T and Arai, Y and Yoshino, M and Kasuga, K and Hasegawa, A and Matsubara, N and Koike, R and Ikeuchi, T}, title = {[Neuropsychological and regional cerebral blood flow of posterior parietal area features in patients with Parkinson's disease with mild cognitive impairment].}, journal = {Rinsho shinkeigaku = Clinical neurology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.5692/clinicalneurol.cn-001709}, pmid = {35753785}, issn = {1882-0654}, abstract = {This study aimed to clarify associations between neuropsychological scales and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) of on ‍123I-IMP-SPECT in patients with Parkinson's disease with mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI). Forty-two participants (mean age, 65.5 ± 8.9 years; mean disease duration, 11.1 ±5.7 years) were evaluated using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, third edition (WAIS-III), Wechsler Memory Scale, revised (WMS-R), Stroop test, Category word fluency, Auditory verbal learning test, Raven colored progressive matrices, Trail Making Test-B, and Clock drawing test. Participants were classified into PD-MCI and PD non-demented (PD-ND) using ten of these scales or its subtests. The rCBF of the posterior cingulate gyrus, precuneus, and parietal lobes was evaluated by ‍123I-IMP-SPECT using the easy Z-‍score imaging system (eZIS analysis). Extent was the extent index of voxels showing z-score > 2, and Severity was mean z-score in those regions on eZIS analysis. Cingulate island sign score (CIScore) was the ratio of integrated z-scores of the posterior cingulate gyrus to those of the posterior cortex.Twenty-three participants were diagnosed with PD-MCI (55%). The rCBF indices were significantly increased in the PD-MCI group compared to the PD-ND group (Extent: P = 0.047; CIScore: P = 0.006). These indices were significantly correlated with WAIS-III Processing Speed (Extent: P = 0.041, R = -0.317; Severity: P = 0.047, R = -0.309), Stroop effect (Extent: P = 0.003, R = 0.443; Severity: P = 0.004, R = 0.437), WMS-R Visual memory (Extent: P = 0.019, R = -0.361; Severity: P = 0.014, R = -0.375), and Delayed memory score (Extent: P = 0.005, R = -0.423; Severity: P = 0.044, R = -0.312). The rCBF indices showed no correlations with the number of impaired cognitive domains. Collectively, decreased posterior parietal area rCBF and lower scores on selective neuropsychological scales might be helpful to detect a transition period from PD-MCI to PD-D.}, }
@article {pmid35747185, year = {2022}, author = {Kizilkaya, MC and Kilic, SS and Bozkurt, MA and Sibic, O and Ohri, N and Faggen, M and Warren, L and Wong, J and Punglia, R and Bellon, J and Haffty, B and Sayan, M}, title = {Breast cancer awareness among Afghan refugee women in Turkey.}, journal = {EClinicalMedicine}, volume = {49}, number = {}, pages = {101459}, doi = {10.1016/j.eclinm.2022.101459}, pmid = {35747185}, issn = {2589-5370}, abstract = {Background Refugees and asylum-seekers have lower levels of cancer awareness and this contributes to low rates of screening and more advanced cancers at diagnosis, compared to non-refugee populations, due largely to reduced access to medical information and care. The global Afghan refugee population is rapidly increasing with the ongoing Afghan political crisis. The present study investigates breast cancer (BC) awareness among Afghan refugee women.<br><br>Methods: A cross-sectional survey of Afghan refugee women residing in Turkey was performed in September 2021. A validated BC patient awareness assessment, the Breast Cancer Awareness Measure (BCAM), was used to assess participants' knowledge of seven domains of BC: symptoms, self-examination, ability to notice breast changes, age-related risk of BC, urgency of addressing changes in the breast, BC risk factors, and BC screening. BCAM was translated into patients' native language and administered verbally by a physician with the assistance of an official interpreter. Routine statistical methods were employed for data analysis.<br><br>Findings: A total of 430 patients were recruited to the study. The response rate was 97·7% (420 patients). The median participant age was 35 years (range: 18 to 68 years). The majority of participants (84%) had no formal education. Most participants (96%) were married, and most (95%) were not employed. Awareness of warning signs of BC was low: only seven to 18% of participants recognized 11 common warning signs of BC. Participant use of breast self-exam (BSE) was low, with 82% of participants stating they rarely or never complete BSE. Zero of 420 patients reported ever seeing a physician for a change in their breasts. Awareness of risk factors for BC was also low: only 15% of participants recognized increasing age as a risk factor for BC, and other risk factors were only recognized by four to 39% of participants.<br><br>Interpretation: BC awareness among Afghan refugee women is critically low. There is an urgent need to target this population for practical interventions to increase BC awareness, in addition to screening and earlier diagnosis. Evidence-based interventions include educational sessions in patients' native language and use of BSE and clinical breast examination for screening.<br><br>Funding: American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) - Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology (ARRO) Global Health Scholar Grant, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Jay Harris Junior Faculty Research Grant.}, }
@article {pmid35739314, year = {2022}, author = {Malvandi, H and Shamabadi, MH}, title = {Use of Feathers from Birds that Collided with Vehicles to Monitor Heavy Metal Contamination in Western Khorasan Razavi, Iran.}, journal = {Bulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, pmid = {35739314}, issn = {1432-0800}, abstract = {In the present study, lead, zinc and copper concentrations in the feathers of Common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), Eurasian magpie (Pica pica), Common buzzard (Buteo buteo), Crested lark (Galerida cristata), Eurasian hoopoe (Upupa epops), Little owl (Athene noctua), Long-eared owl (Asio otus), Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo) and Long-legged buzzard (Buteo rufinus) from Sabzevar and Neghab, Khorasan Razavi of Iran were measured. Almost all of the specimens were obtained from birds that had collided with vehicles or were unable to fly. There were no significant differences in metal concentrations between adult and juvenile, diurnal and nocturnal raptors and species with different diets. Elemental concentrations were lower than toxicity threshold values, so exposure to these elements does not appear to pose a health risk to the studied species. It should be noted that this study was the first study of metals in Galerida cristata, Asio otus and Buteo rufinus.}, }
@article {pmid35719894, year = {2021}, author = {Hentati-Sundberg, J and Berglund, PA and Hejdström, A and Olsson, O}, title = {COVID-19 lockdown reveals tourists as seabird guardians.}, journal = {Biological conservation}, volume = {254}, number = {}, pages = {108950}, doi = {10.1016/j.biocon.2021.108950}, pmid = {35719894}, issn = {0006-3207}, abstract = {The widespread lockdowns put in place to limit the spread of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) offers a rare opportunity in understanding how human presence influence ecosystems. Using data from long-term seabird monitoring, we reveal a previously concealed guarding effect by tourist groups on an iconic seabird colony in the Baltic Sea. The absence of tourists in 2020 lead to a sevenfold increase in presence of white-tailed eagles Haliaeetus albicilla, a sevenfold increase in their disturbance of breeding common murres Uria aalge and causing 26% lower murre productivity than the long-term average. Eagles did not prey on murres, but their frequent disturbances delayed egg laying and facilitated egg predation from herring gulls Larus argentatus and hooded crows Corvus cornix. Based on our findings, we suggest that human presence could be used as a strategic measure in guarding seabird colonies, and that a social-ecological systems perspective is vital for long-term success in protected area management.}, }
@article {pmid35724843, year = {2022}, author = {Hallett, J and Feng, D and McCormick, AKHG and Allen, S and Inouye, J and Schure, M and Holder, S and Medicine, LO and Held, S}, title = {Improving Chronic Illness Self-Management with the Apsáalooke Nation: The Báa nnilah Project, a cluster randomized trial protocol.}, journal = {Contemporary clinical trials}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {106835}, doi = {10.1016/j.cct.2022.106835}, pmid = {35724843}, issn = {1559-2030}, abstract = {Chronic illness (CI) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality for Indigenous people. In Montana, Indigenous communities disproportionately experience CI, a legacy of settler colonialism. For over two decades, Messengers for Health, an Apsáalooke (Crow Indian) non-profit, and Montana State University have partnered to improve community health using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach. We developed Báa nnilah, an intervention utilizing community strengths, to improve CI self-management. This manuscript describes the protocol for a cluster randomized trial with two arms: an intervention group and a wait list control group, who both participated in the Báa nnilah program. Enrollment occurred through family/clan networks and community outreach and attended to limitations of existing CI self-management interventions by using an approach and content that were culturally consonant. Participants received program materials, attended seven gatherings focused on improving CI management, and received and shared health information through storytelling based on a conceptual framework from the Apsáalooke culture and incorporating CI self-management strategies. Participant support occurred within partnership dyads during and between gatherings, from community mentors, and by program staff. The study used mixed methods to evaluate the intervention, with qualitative measures including the Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Patient Activation Measure (PAM), and a suite of PROMIS measures, various physical tests and qualitative survey responses, semi-structured interviews, and outcomes shared by participants with program staff. We hypothesized that Báa nnilah would significantly improve participant health outcome measures across multiple dimensions with quality of life as the primary outcome. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03036189. Registered on 30 January 2017. (From https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03036189).}, }
@article {pmid35714793, year = {2022}, author = {Buniyaadi, A and Prabhat, A and Bhardwaj, SK and Kumar, V}, title = {Night melatonin levels affect cognition in diurnal animals: Molecular insights from a corvid exposed to an illuminated night environment.}, journal = {Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)}, volume = {308}, number = {}, pages = {119618}, doi = {10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119618}, pmid = {35714793}, issn = {1873-6424}, abstract = {This study investigated the role of nocturnal melatonin secretion in the cognitive performance of diurnal animals. An initial experiment measured the cognitive performance in Indian house crows treated for 11 days with 12 h light at 1.426 W/m2 (∼150 lux) coupled with 12 h of 0.058 W/m2 (∼6-lux) dim light at night (dLAN) or with absolute darkness (0 lux dark night, LD). dLAN treatment significantly decreased midnight melatonin levels and negatively impacted cognitive performance. Subsequently, the role of exogenous melatonin (50 μg; administered intraperitoneally half an hour before the night began) was assessed on the regulation of cognitive performance in two separate experimental cohorts of crows kept under dLAN; LD controls received vehicle. Exogenous melatonin restored its mid-night levels under dLAN at par with those under LD controls, and improved the cognitive performance, as measured in the innovative problem-solving, and spatial and pattern learning-memory efficiency tests in dLAN-treated crows. There were concurrent molecular changes in the cognition-associated brain areas, namely the hippocampus, nidopallium caudolaterale and midbrain. In particular, the expression levels of genes involved in neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity (bdnf, dcx, egr1, creb), and dopamine synthesis and signalling (th, drd1, drd2, darpp32, taar1) were restored to LD control levels in crows treated with illuminated nights and received melatonin. These results demonstrate that the maintenance of nocturnal melatonin levels is crucial for an optimal higher-order brain function in diurnal animals in the face of an environmental threat, such as light pollution.}, }
@article {pmid35713817, year = {2022}, author = {Zhang, Y and Zhang, Z and Zhao, L and Tao, Y and Li, Z}, title = {Azure-winged Magpies would rather avoid losses than strive for benefits based on reciprocal altruism.}, journal = {Animal cognition}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, pmid = {35713817}, issn = {1435-9456}, support = {31772470//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; }, abstract = {It is no doubt that the reciprocal altruism of humans is unparalleled in the animal world. However, how strong altruistic behavior in the non-human animal is still very controversial. Almost all previous researches allowed only one individual in the dyad for action or dyad to accomplish tasks and obtain rewards simultaneously. Here, we designed current study based on the prisoner's dilemma to investigate reciprocal altruism under interactions of Azure-winged Magpies (Cyanopica cyanus), which is direct reciprocity of allowing subjects obtain rewards, respectively. The results suggest that Azure-winged Magpies failed to show continuously altruistic behavior due to the empiricism that stemmed from interactions, that is, avoiding losses. Meanwhile, the resource exchange game paradigm, which is designed in our study, is worthwhile to study the evolution of cooperation in more species in the future.}, }
@article {pmid35703981, year = {2022}, author = {McCullough, JM and Oliveros, C and Benz, BW and Zenil-Ferguson, R and Cracraft, J and Moyle, RG and Andersen, MJ}, title = {Wallacean and Melanesian Islands Promote Higher Rates of Diversification within the Global Passerine radiation Corvides.}, journal = {Systematic biology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1093/sysbio/syac044}, pmid = {35703981}, issn = {1076-836X}, abstract = {The complex island archipelagoes of Wallacea and Melanesia have provided empirical data behind integral theories in evolutionary biology, including allopatric speciation and island biogeography. Yet, questions regarding the relative impact of the layered biogeographic barriers, such as deep-water trenches and isolated island systems, on faunal diversification remain underexplored. One such barrier is Wallace's Line, a significant biogeographic boundary that largely separates Australian and Asian biodiversity. To assess the relative roles of biogeographic barriers-specifically isolated island systems and Wallace's Line-we investigated the tempo and mode of diversification in a diverse avian radiation, Corvides (Crows and Jays, Birds-of-paradise, Vangas, and allies). We combined a genus-level dataset of thousands of ultraconserved elements (UCEs) and a species-level, 12-gene Sanger sequence matrix to produce a well-resolved supermatrix tree that we leveraged to explore the group's historical biogeography and effects of biogeographic barriers on their macroevolutionary dynamics. The tree is well-resolved and differs substantially from what has been used extensively for past comparative analyses within this group. We confirmed that Corvides, and its major constituent clades, arose in Australia and that a burst of dispersals west across Wallace's Line occurred after the uplift of Wallacea during the mid-Miocene. We found that dispersal across this biogeographic barrier were generally rare, though westward dispersals were two times more frequent than eastward dispersals. Wallacea's central position between Sundaland and Sahul no doubt acted as a bridge for island-hopping dispersal out of Australia, across Wallace's Line, to colonize the rest of Earth. In addition, we found that the complex island archipelagoes east of Wallace's Line harbor the highest rates of net diversification and are a substantial source of colonists to continental systems on both sides of this biogeographic barrier. Our results support emerging evidence that island systems, particularly the geologically complex archipelagoes of the Indo-pacific, are drivers of species diversification.}, }
@article {pmid35686147, year = {2022}, author = {Lean, FZX and Vitores, AG and Reid, SM and Banyard, AC and Brown, IH and Núñez, A and Hansen, RDE}, title = {Gross pathology of high pathogenicity avian influenza virus H5N1 2021-2022 epizootic in naturally infected birds in the United Kingdom.}, journal = {One health (Amsterdam, Netherlands)}, volume = {14}, number = {}, pages = {100392}, doi = {10.1016/j.onehlt.2022.100392}, pmid = {35686147}, issn = {2352-7714}, abstract = {High pathogenicity avian influenza virus (HPAIV) clade 2.3.4.4b has re-emerged in the United Kingdom in 2021-2022 winter season, with over 90 cases of HPAIV detected among poultry and captive birds in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Globally, HPAIV H5N1 has also had a wide geographical dispersion, causing outbreaks in Europe, North America, Asia, and Africa, impacting on socioeconomic and wildlife conservation. It is important to raise awareness of the gross pathological features of HPAIV and subsequently aid disease investigation through definition of pathological indicators following natural infection. In this study, we report on the gross pathology of HPAI H5N1 in poultry species (chicken, turkey, pheasant, guineafowl, duck, goose), and captive or wild birds (mute swan, tufted duck, jackdaw, peahen, white-tailed eagle) that tested positive between October 2021 and February 2022. Pancreatic and splenic necrosis were the common pathological findings in both Galliformes and Anseriformes. In addition to the more severe lesions documented in Galliformes, we also noted increased detection of pathological changes in a broader range of Anseriformes particularly in domestic ducks, in contrast to those reported in previous seasons with other H5Nx HPAIV subtypes. A continual effort to characterise the pathological impact of the disease is necessary to update on the presentation of HPAIV for both domestic/captive and wild birds whilst guiding early presumptive diagnosis.}, }
@article {pmid35681822, year = {2022}, author = {Gallup, AC and Schild, AB and Ühlein, MA and Bugnyar, T and Massen, JJM}, title = {No Evidence for Contagious Yawning in Juvenile Ravens (Corvus corax): An Observational Study.}, journal = {Animals : an open access journal from MDPI}, volume = {12}, number = {11}, pages = {}, doi = {10.3390/ani12111357}, pmid = {35681822}, issn = {2076-2615}, support = {Y366-B17, W-1234-G17, and W1262-B29 to T.B. and M1351-B17 and P26806-B22 to J.J.M.M..//Austrian Science Fund (FWF)/ ; }, abstract = {The overt and reflexive matching of behaviors among conspecifics has been observed in a growing number of social vertebrates, including avian species. In general, behavioral contagion-such as the spread of yawning-may serve important functions in group synchronization and vigilance behavior. Here, we performed an exploratory study to investigate yawn contagion among 10 captive juvenile ravens (Corvus corax), across two groups. Using observational methods, we also examined the contagiousness of three other distinct behaviors: stretching, scratching, and shaking. A total of 44 20 min observations were made across both groups, including 28 in the morning and 16 in the afternoon. The time and occurrence of all the behaviors from each bird were coded, and the temporal pattern of each behavior across both groups was then analyzed to assess the degree of social contagion. Overall, we found no evidence for contagious yawning, stretching, scratching, or shaking. However, yawns were relatively infrequent per observation (0.052 ± 0.076 yawns/bird) and thus experimental methods should be used to support this finding.}, }
@article {pmid35676708, year = {2022}, author = {Li, K and Walczak-Kozłowska, T and Lipowski, M and Li, J and Krokosz, D and Su, Y and Yu, H and Fan, H}, title = {The effect of the Baduanjin exercise on COVID-19-related anxiety, psychological well-being and lower back pain of college students during the pandemic.}, journal = {BMC sports science, medicine &amp; rehabilitation}, volume = {14}, number = {1}, pages = {102}, pmid = {35676708}, issn = {2052-1847}, support = {BPN/GIN/2021/1/00010/U/00001//The Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange/ ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: This study aimed to examine the effect of Baduanjin exercise on COVID-19-related anxiety, psychological well-being, and the lower back pain of college students during the coronavirus pandemic in China.<br><br>SETTING: The study was carried out in a temporary experimental center of four universities in Wenzhou city in Zhejiang Province, China.<br><br>POPULATION: 387 participants who were college students were allocated to two groups: the Baduanjin exercise group(BEG, n = 195); and the Control group(CG,n = 192).<br><br>METHODS: In this randomized controlled trial,387 participants who were college students were randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to 12-week Baduanjin exercise group (BEG, n = 195)and 12-week Control group(CG,n = 192).CAS(Coronavirus Anxiety Scale), PWBS(Psychological Well-being Scale),NMQ(Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire), was used to assess COVID-19-related anxiety, psychological well-being, and lower back pain at second times (before and after the intervention). The paired t-test and an independent t-test (with a 95% confidence interval) was used to compare the outcome variables of the two groups.<br><br>RESULTS: Within-group comparison, there was no significant difference in the control group before and after the intervention. In contrast, the Baduanjin group had a significant improvement before and after the intervention. Between-group comparison, the Baduanjin group had a significant difference from the control group. The intervention effect on the Baduanjin exercise group was remarkably better than that of the control group (p < 0.05). Participants in the Baduanjin group significantly improved the corvid-19-related anxiety score decreased from (5.22 ± 0.45 to 5.07 ± 0.27, p < 0.05). The total psychological well-being score increased from (70.11 ± 8.65 to 84.12 ± 7.38,p < 0.05) and the prevalence of low back pain decreased from (22.45 ± 1.67 to 18.35 ± 1.05, p < 0.05) among college students.<br><br>CONCLUSION: During the pandemic, the Baduanjin exercise contributes to the reduction of the perceived anxiety related to COVID-19, decreases the prevalence of the lower back pain, and improves the psychological well-being of college students.<br><br>TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT04432038. Registered on June 16, 2020.}, }
@article {pmid35673098, year = {2022}, author = {Balbino, M and Jandre, C and de Miranda, D and Nobre, C}, title = {Predictions of Academic Performance of Children and Adolescents with ADHD Using the SHAP Approach.}, journal = {Studies in health technology and informatics}, volume = {290}, number = {}, pages = {655-659}, doi = {10.3233/SHTI220159}, pmid = {35673098}, issn = {1879-8365}, abstract = {Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neuro-developmental disorder characterized by inattention and/or impulsivity-hyperactivity symptoms. Through Machine Learning methods and the SHAP approach, this work aims to discover which features have the most significant impact on the students' performance with ADHD in arithmetic, writing and reading. The SHAP allowed us to deepen the model's understanding and identify the most relevant features for academic performance. The experiments indicated that the Raven_Z IQ test score is the factor with the most significant impact on academic performance in all disciplines. Then, the mother's schooling, being from a private school, and the student's social class were the most frequently highlighted features. In all disciplines, the student having ADHD emerged as an important feature with a negative impact but less relevance than the previous features.}, }
@article {pmid35669936, year = {2022}, author = {Ganesh, R and Vanichkachorn, GS and Munipalli, B and Hanson, SN and Abu Dabrh, AM and Croghan, IT and Dawson, NL and Hurt, RT}, title = {Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) - Lessons Learned From a Coordinated Health Systems Response.}, journal = {Mayo Clinic proceedings. Innovations, quality &amp; outcomes}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1016/j.mayocpiqo.2022.05.007}, pmid = {35669936}, issn = {2542-4548}, abstract = {Objective: To outline a consensus designed process for triaging and managing patients with Post COVID syndrome at the Mayo Clinic.<br><br>Patients and Methods: We convened a central multidisciplinary team including members from General Internal Medicine, Occupational Medicine, Physical Medicine &amp; Rehabilitation, Psychology, Allergy and Immunology, Infectious Disease, Pulmonology, Neurology, Cardiology, Pediatrics and Otorhinolaryngology, with membership from all the Mayo Clinic sites in Arizona, Florida, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.<br><br>Results: Consensus recommendations were made for best practice guidelines on triaging and managing patients. Several innovations were agreed upon including a PASC specific appointment request form for data collection, a bio-registry, a bio-repository, and a PASC specific treatment program.<br><br>Conclusions: Given that each clinical site had individual clinical practices, these recommendations were implemented using different models, which may provide broad applicability to other clinical settings.}, }
@article {pmid35650120, year = {2022}, author = {Sasaki, Y and Nozawa-Takeda, T and Yonemitsu, K and Asai, T and Asakura, H and Nagai, H}, title = {Characterization of Campylobacter jejuni in large-billed crows (Corvus macrorhynchos) in Tochigi prefecture, Japan.}, journal = {The Journal of veterinary medical science}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1292/jvms.22-0055}, pmid = {35650120}, issn = {1347-7439}, abstract = {As free-living crows are a potential source of Campylobacter infections in broilers and cattle, we characterized Campylobacter spp. isolated from crows using multilocus sequence typing and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. We obtained 82 samples from 27 birds captured at seven different times using a trap set in Tochigi prefecture, Japan. Campylobacterjejuni was isolated from 55 (67.1%) of the 82 samples and classified into 29 sequence types, of which 21 were novel. Tetracycline and streptomycin resistance rates were 18.2% and 3.6%, respectively. These results show that most types of C. jejuni infecting crows differ from those isolated from humans, broilers, and cattle. Thus, the importance of free-living crows as reservoirs of Campylobacter infections in broilers and cattle may be limited.}, }
@article {pmid35647890, year = {2022}, author = {Cheikh, F and Benhassine, NE and Sbaa, S}, title = {Fetal phonocardiogram signals denoising using improved complete ensemble (EMD) with adaptive noise and optimal thresholding of wavelet coefficients.}, journal = {Biomedizinische Technik. Biomedical engineering}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1515/bmt-2022-0006}, pmid = {35647890}, issn = {1862-278X}, abstract = {Although fetal phonocardiogram (fPCG) signals have become a good indicator for discovered heart disease, they may be contaminated by various noises that reduce the signals quality and the final diagnosis decision. Moreover, the noise may cause the risk of the data to misunderstand the heart signal and to misinterpret it. The main objective of this paper is to effectively remove noise from the fPCG signal to make it clinically feasible. So, we proposed a novel noise reduction method based on Improved Complete Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition with Adaptive Noise (ICEEMDAN), wavelet threshold and Crow Search Algorithm (CSA). This noise reduction method, named ICEEMDAN-DWT-CSA, has three major advantages. They were, (i) A better suppress of mode mixing and a minimized number of IMFs, (ii) A choice of wavelet corresponding to the study signal proven by the literature and (iii) Selection of the optimal threshold value. Firstly, the noisy fPCG signal is decomposed into Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMFs) by the (ICEEMDAN). Each noisy IMFs were decomposed by the Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT). Then, the optimal threshold value using the (CSA) technique is selected and the thresholding function is carried out in the detail's coefficients. Secondly, each denoised (IMFs) is reconstructed by applying the Inverse Discrete Wavelet Transform (IDWT). Finally, all these denoised (IMFs) are combined to get the denoised fPCG signal. The performance of the proposed method has been evaluated by Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR), Mean Square Error (MSE) and the Correlation Coefficient (COR). The experiment gave a better result than some standard methods.}, }
@article {pmid35633699, year = {2022}, author = {Chu, KK and Zhou, ZJ and Wang, Q and Ye, SB and Guo, L and Qiu, Y and Zhang, YZ and Ge, XY}, title = {Characterization of Deltacoronavirus in Black-Headed Gulls (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) in South China Indicating Frequent Interspecies Transmission of the Virus in Birds.}, journal = {Frontiers in microbiology}, volume = {13}, number = {}, pages = {895741}, doi = {10.3389/fmicb.2022.895741}, pmid = {35633699}, issn = {1664-302X}, abstract = {Deltacoronavirus (DCoV) is a genus of coronavirus (CoV) commonly found in avian and swine, but some DCoVs are capable of infecting humans, which causes the concern about interspecies transmission of DCoVs. Thus, monitoring the existence of DCoVs in animals near communities is of great importance for epidemic prevention. Black-headed gulls (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) are common migratory birds inhabiting in most urban and rural wetlands of Yunnan Province, China, which is a typical habitat for black-headed gulls to overwinter. Whether Yunnan black-headed gulls carry CoV has never been determined. In this study, we identified three strains of DCoVs in fecal samples of Yunnan black-headed gulls by reverse-transcriptional PCR and sequenced their whole genomes. Genomic analysis revealed that these three strains shared genomic identity of more than 99%, thus named DCoV HNU4-1, HNU4-2, and HNU4-3; their NSP12 showed high similarity of amino acid sequence to the homologs of falcon coronavirus UAE-HKU27 (HKU27), houbara coronavirus UAE-HKU28 (HKU28), and pigeon coronavirus UAE-HKU29 (HKU29). Since both HKU28 and HKU29 were found in Dubai, there might be cross-border transmission of these avian DCoVs through specific routes. Further coevolutionary analysis supported this speculation that HNU4 (or its ancestors) in black-headed gulls originated from HKU28 (or its homologous strain) in houbara, which was interspecies transmission between two different avian orders. In addition, interspecies transmission of DCoV, from houbara to falcon, pigeon and white-eye, from sparrow to common-magpie, and quail and mammal including porcine and Asian leopard cat, from munia to magpie-robin, was predicted. This is the first report of black-headed gull DCoV in Asia which was highly homolog to other avian DCoVs, and the very "active" host-switching events in DCoV were predicted, which provides important reference for the study of spread and transmission of DCoVs.}, }
@article {pmid35625072, year = {2022}, author = {Aaziz, R and Laroucau, K and Gobbo, F and Salvatore, D and Schnee, C and Terregino, C and Lupini, C and Di Francesco, A}, title = {Occurrence of Chlamydiae in Corvids in Northeast Italy.}, journal = {Animals : an open access journal from MDPI}, volume = {12}, number = {10}, pages = {}, doi = {10.3390/ani12101226}, pmid = {35625072}, issn = {2076-2615}, abstract = {Chlamydiaceae occurrence has been largely evaluated in wildlife, showing that wild birds are efficient reservoirs for avian chlamydiosis. In this study, DNA extracted from cloacal swabs of 108 corvids from Northeast Italy was screened for Chlamydiaceae by 23S real-time (rt)PCR. The positive samples were characterised by specific rtPCRs for Chlamydia psittaci, Chlamydia abortus, Chlamydia gallinacea, Chlamydia avium, Chlamydia pecorum and Chlamydia suis. Cloacal shedding of Chlamydiaceae was detected in 12 out of 108 (11.1%, 5.9%-18.6% 95% CI) corvids sampled. Molecular characterisation at the species level was possible in 8/12 samples, showing C. psittaci positivity in only one sample from a hooded crow and C. abortus positivity in seven samples, two from Eurasian magpies and five from hooded crows. Genotyping of the C. psittaci-positive sample was undertaken via PCR/high-resolution melting, clustering it in group III_pigeon, corresponding to the B genotype based on former ompA analysis. For C. abortus genotyping, multilocus sequence typing was successfully performed on the two samples with high DNA load from Eurasian magpies, highlighting 100% identity with the recently reported Polish avian C. abortus genotype 1V strain 15-58d44. To confirm the intermediate characteristics between C. psittaci and C. abortus, both samples, as well as two samples from hooded crows, showed the chlamydial plasmid inherent in most C. psittaci and avian C. abortus, but not in ruminant C. abortus strains. The plasmid sequences were highly similar (≥99%) to those of the Polish avian C. abortus genotype 1V strain 15-58d44. To our knowledge, this is the first report of avian C. abortus strains in Italy, specifically genotype 1V, confirming that they are actively circulating in corvids in the Italian region tested.}, }
@article {pmid35623693, year = {2022}, author = {Vermeylen, MK and Knowles, TG and Barron, HW}, title = {The influence of Lake Okeechobee discharges on Karenia brevis blooms and the effects on wildlife along the central west coast of Florida.}, journal = {Harmful algae}, volume = {115}, number = {}, pages = {102237}, doi = {10.1016/j.hal.2022.102237}, pmid = {35623693}, issn = {1878-1470}, abstract = {Blooms of the dinoflagellate Karenia brevis (K. brevis) are a common occurrence in the Gulf of Mexico, especially along Florida's coast. The blooms produce brevetoxins, potent neurotoxins that are associated with mortalities of marine wildlife. In recent years, K. brevis blooms seem to have become more frequent and intense. The cause of these suspected increases is highly debated, with one suggested explanation being anthropogenic eutrophication. Patient records from the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) on Sanibel Island, Florida, USA, and K. brevis cell count samples from the west coast of Florida were used to assess trends in red tides and affected wildlife. Flow data from the Okeechobee waterway was used to investigate if discharges from Lake Okeechobee and the Caloosahatchee Estuary, where eutrophication is present, influence red tides along Florida's central west coast. Overall, K. brevis blooms show trends of increasing intensity and duration along Florida's coast between 1954 and 2020 (latest data available). This means the amount of wildlife affected will likely increase in the future, as a linear relationship was found between the number of admissions to CROW and K. brevis densities. Furthermore, water discharges from the Okeechobee waterway (including Lake Okeechobee and the Caloosahatchee Estuary) into the Gulf of Mexico were significantly correlated with K. brevis densities, which suggests that anthropogenic pollution might play a role in the observed increases. Clear correlations were found between K. brevis densities and brevetoxicosis patient numbers admitted, and this was strongest with overall admissions lagging 23 days behind cell counts. This further confirms brevetoxins as the likely cause of their morbidity and supports previous research on brevetoxin retention in the environment. Different species groups had significant correlations with K. brevis cell counts, double-crested cormorants showing the strongest link, and there were significant differences between these groups in lag times. The differences are likely due to their distinct foraging behaviours or susceptibilities to brevetoxins. These findings can help predict future trends in red tides and can guide further research on the effects of discharges on K. brevis blooms.}, }
@article {pmid35620015, year = {2022}, author = {Ashton, BJ and Thornton, A and Cauchoix, M and Ridley, AR}, title = {Long-term repeatability of cognitive performance.}, journal = {Royal Society open science}, volume = {9}, number = {5}, pages = {220069}, doi = {10.1098/rsos.220069}, pmid = {35620015}, issn = {2054-5703}, abstract = {Measures of cognitive performance, derived from psychometric tasks, have yielded important insights into the factors governing cognitive variation. However, concerns remain over the robustness of these measures, which may be susceptible to non-cognitive factors such as motivation and persistence. Efforts to quantify short-term repeatability of cognitive performance have gone some way to address this, but crucially the long-term repeatability of cognitive performance has been largely overlooked. Quantifying the long-term repeatability of cognitive performance provides the opportunity to determine the stability of cognitive phenotypes and the potential for selection to act on them. To this end, we quantified long-term repeatability of cognitive performance in wild Australian magpies over a three-year period. Cognitive performance was repeatable in two out of four cognitive tasks-associative learning and reversal-learning performance was repeatable, but spatial memory and inhibitory control performance, although trending toward significance, was not. Measures of general cognitive performance, obtained from principal components analyses carried out on each cognitive test battery, were highly repeatable. Together, these findings provide evidence that at least some cognitive phenotypes are stable, which in turn has important implications for our understanding of cognitive evolution.}, }
@article {pmid35609562, year = {2022}, author = {Kilian, L and Shahid, F and Zhao, JS and Nayeri, CN}, title = {Bio-inspired morphing wings: mechanical design and wind tunnel experiments.}, journal = {Bioinspiration &amp; biomimetics}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1088/1748-3190/ac72e1}, pmid = {35609562}, issn = {1748-3190}, abstract = {Bio-inspired morphing wings are part of a novel research direction offering greatly increased adaptability for the use in UAVs. Recent models published in literature often rely on simplifications of the bird wing apparatus and fail to preserve many of the macroscopic morphological features. Therefore, a more holistic design approach could uncover further benefits of truly bio-inspired bird wing models. In face of this issue, a prototype inspired by crow wings (Corvus genus) is developed, which is capable of planform wing morphing. The prototype imitates the feather structure of real birds and replicates the folding motion with a carbon fiber reinforced polymer skeleton with one controllable degree of freedom. The mechanism supplies a smooth airfoil lifting surface through a continuous morphing motion between a fully extended and a folded state. When extended, it has an elliptic planform and emarginated slots between primary remiges. In folded state the wingspan is reduced by 50% with a 40% reduction in surface area, and the aspect ratio decreases from 2.9 to 1.2. Experimental data of a subsonic wind tunnel investigation is presented for flow velocities ranging from 5 to 20 m/s, corresponding to Reynolds numbers between 0.7 × 10^5 - 2.8 × 10^5. The wing is analyzed in the three static states folded, intermediate, and extended through aerodynamic coefficients and flow visualizations along the surface. The bio-inspired design enables the wing to capture several phenomena found on real bird wings. Through its morphing capabilities and intrinsic softness, the wing can sustain large angles of attack with greatly delayed stall and maintain optimal performance at different velocities.}, }
@article {pmid35609544, year = {2022}, author = {Farine, DR}, title = {Collective behaviour: Jackdaws vote to leave with their voice.}, journal = {Current biology : CB}, volume = {32}, number = {10}, pages = {R467-R469}, doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2022.03.070}, pmid = {35609544}, issn = {1879-0445}, abstract = {Making a decision as a group requires not only choosing where to go but also when to go. A new study provides experimental evidence that, in jackdaws, vocalisations facilitate synchronous early morning departures from communal roosts.}, }
@article {pmid35609539, year = {2022}, author = {Dibnah, AJ and Herbert-Read, JE and Boogert, NJ and McIvor, GE and Jolles, JW and Thornton, A}, title = {Vocally mediated consensus decisions govern mass departures from jackdaw roosts.}, journal = {Current biology : CB}, volume = {32}, number = {10}, pages = {R455-R456}, doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2022.04.032}, pmid = {35609539}, issn = {1879-0445}, abstract = {In the early morning, large groups of up to hundreds or even thousands of roosting birds, sometimes comprising the entire roost population, often take off together in sudden mass departures. These departures commonly occur in low-light conditions and structurally complex habitats where access to visual cues is likely to be restricted. Roosting birds are often highly vocal, leading us to hypothesise that vocalisations, which can propagate over large distances, could provide a means of enabling individuals to agree on when to depart - that is to establish a consensus1 - and thus coordinate the timing of mass movements. Investigations of the role of acoustic signals in coordinating collective decisions have been limited to honeybees2 and relatively small vertebrate groups (<50 individuals)3-5 and have rarely included experimental validation2,3. Here, by combining field recordings with a large-scale experimental manipulation, we show that jackdaws (Corvus monedula) use vocalisations to coordinate mass departures from winter roosts. This provides empirical evidence for vocally-mediated consensus decision-making in large vertebrate groups.}, }
@article {pmid35601199, year = {2022}, author = {Moyer, RA and Beck, CJ and Van Atter, N and McLane, A}, title = {Advocacy services for survivors of intimate partner violence: Pivots and lessons learned during the COVID-19 quarantine in Tacoma, Washington.}, journal = {Family court review}, volume = {60}, number = {2}, pages = {288-302}, doi = {10.1111/fcre.12642}, pmid = {35601199}, issn = {1531-2445}, abstract = {The Crystal Judson Family Justice Center (CJFJC), like many advocacy programs for survivors of intimate partner violence, transformed its structure and operating procedures amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the United States was in Washington State, where CJFJC is located, and Governor Jay Inslee acted quickly with a strict stay-at-home order. This paper describes the pre-pandemic, in-person service model used at CJFJC and then the transition to a fully online service model utilizing phone, email and online procedures and platforms. The rapid transition posed many opportunities to learn how to provide services during public pandemics, and how to provide services virtually. We conclude with detailed lessons learned from the experiences of filing domestic violence protection orders online, Zoom court hearings, innovation surrounding community partnerships, and information technology development.}, }
@article {pmid35590208, year = {2022}, author = {Gill, J}, title = {Finding healing where it hurts.}, journal = {Med (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {3}, number = {2}, pages = {80-82}, doi = {10.1016/j.medj.2022.01.003}, pmid = {35590208}, issn = {2666-6340}, abstract = {In 2021, Cell Press together with Cell Signaling Technology held the second installment of the Rising Black Scientist Award (RBSA) Essay Contest meant to support talented and motivated young Black scientists on their journey. Charleese Williams and Elle Lett won the 2021 RBSA undergraduate and post-graduate scholars, respectively (https://www.cell.com/cell/issue?pii=S0092-8674(21)X0003-7). In recognition of the excellence of this year's submissions, we at Med are honored to also highlight the unique story of Jay Gill, which strongly resonates with the journal's mission to improve global health.}, }
@article {pmid35578705, year = {2022}, author = {Borukhson, D and Lorenz-Spreen, P and Ragni, M}, title = {When Does an Individual Accept Misinformation? An Extended Investigation Through Cognitive Modeling.}, journal = {Computational brain &amp; behavior}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {1-17}, doi = {10.1007/s42113-022-00136-3}, pmid = {35578705}, issn = {2522-087X}, abstract = {A new phenomenon is the spread and acceptance of misinformation and disinformation on an individual user level, facilitated by social media such as Twitter. So far, state-of-the-art socio-psychological theories and cognitive models focus on explaining how the accuracy of fake news is judged on average, with little consideration of the individual. In this paper, a breadth of core models are comparatively assessed on their predictive accuracy for the individual decision maker, i.e., how well can models predict an individual's decision before the decision is made. To conduct this analysis, it requires the raw responses of each individual and the implementation and adaption of theories to predict the individual's response. Building on methods formerly applied on smaller and more limited datasets, we used three previously collected large datasets with a total of 3794 participants and searched for, analyzed and refined existing classical and heuristic modeling approaches. The results suggest that classical reasoning, sentiment analysis models and heuristic approaches can best predict the "Accept" or "Reject" response of a person, headed by a model put together from research by Jay Van Bavel, while other models such as an implementation of "motivated reasoning" performed worse. Further, hybrid models that combine pairs of individual models achieve a significant increase in performance, pointing to an adaptive toolbox.}, }
@article {pmid35569183, year = {2022}, author = {Aydin, F and Saticioglu, IB and Ay, H and Kayman, T and Karakaya, E and Abay, S}, title = {Description of the two novel species of the genus Helicobacter: Helicobacter anatolicus sp. nov., and Helicobacter kayseriensis sp. nov., isolated from feces of urban wild birds.}, journal = {Systematic and applied microbiology}, volume = {45}, number = {4}, pages = {126326}, doi = {10.1016/j.syapm.2022.126326}, pmid = {35569183}, issn = {1618-0984}, abstract = {A total of 26 Gram-negative, motile, gently curved, and rod-shaped isolates were recovered, during a study to determine the faeco-prevalence of Helicobacter spp. in urban wild birds. Pairwise comparisons of the 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that these isolates belonged to the genus Helicobacter and phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the isolates were separated into two divergent groups. The first group consisted of 20 urease-positive isolates sharing the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence identity levels of 98.5-98.6% to H. mustelae ATCC 43772T, while the second group contained six urease-negative isolates with the sequence identity level of 98.5% to the type strain of H. pametensis ATCC 51478T. Five isolates were chosen and subjected to comparative whole-genome analysis. The phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA, gyrA and atpA gene sequences showed that Helicobacter isolates formed two separate phylogenetic clades, differentiating the isolates from the other Helicobacter species. Digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) and average nucleotide identity (ANI) analyses between strains faydin-H8T, faydin-H23T and their close neighbors H. anseris MIT 04-9362T and H. pametensis ATCC 51478T, respectively, confirmed that both strains represent novel species in the genus Helicobacter. The DNA G+C contents of the strains faydin-H8T and faydin-H23T are 32.0% and 37.6%, respectively. The results obtained for the characterization of the wild bird isolates indicate that they represent two novel species, for which the names Helicobacter anatolicus sp. nov., and Helicobacter kayseriensis sp. nov., are proposed, with faydin-H8T(=LMG 32237T = DSMZ 112312T) and faydin-H23T(=LMG 32236T = CECT 30508T) as respective type strains.}, }
@article {pmid35565633, year = {2022}, author = {Kövér, L and Paládi, P and Benmazouz, I and Šorgo, A and Špur, N and Juhász, L and Czine, P and Balogh, P and Lengyel, S}, title = {Is the Hitchcock Story Really True? Public Opinion on Hooded Crows in Cities as Input to Management.}, journal = {Animals : an open access journal from MDPI}, volume = {12}, number = {9}, pages = {}, pmid = {35565633}, issn = {2076-2615}, abstract = {In recent years, the Hooded crow (Corvus cornix) has become one of the most successful wild bird species in urban environments across Europe. Hooded crows can cause several problems in cities, including trash scattering, noise disturbance, and aggressive behavior toward humans or pets, and they can be potential vectors of pathogens. To find effective solutions, the public has to be involved in the decision-making process in urban planning management, managed by the city administration. In this study, we surveyed the attitude of people in Hungary towards crows and crow management by collecting information using an online questionnaire containing 65 questions published in 14 Facebook groups. We found that many people were familiar with corvid species and had personal experience with them. In most cases, these experiences were not negative, so the crows were not or only rarely perceived to cause problems to people, such as aggressive behavior, damage to cars or stealing something. Most respondents recognized that the presence of large numbers of hooded crows is a problem to be solved and acknowledged that they do not know how to resolve it. The majority of people expressed their interest in raising public awareness of crows but not in their management actions, which they believe should be implemented by experts. Most respondents preferred passive, harmless methods. More direct methods such as egg/chick removal from the nest, control by trapping, poisoned baits or firearms, or oral contraceptives were the least acceptable. These results express the difficulty in identifying a control method for managing hooded crow populations that is both acceptable to most people and effective at the same time. This study demonstrates the importance of involving public opinion in wildlife management and providing more information to citizens to reduce human-crow conflicts.}, }
@article {pmid35561680, year = {2022}, author = {Wang, ZY and Pergande, MR and Ragsdale, CW and Cologna, SM}, title = {Steroid hormones of the octopus self-destruct system.}, journal = {Current biology : CB}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2022.04.043}, pmid = {35561680}, issn = {1879-0445}, abstract = {Among all invertebrates, soft-bodied cephalopods have the largest central nervous systems and the greatest brain-to-body mass ratios, yet unlike other big-brained animals, cephalopods are unusually short lived.1-5 Primates and corvids survive for many decades, but shallow-water octopuses, such as the California two-spot octopus (Octopus bimaculoides), typically live for only 1 year.6,7 Lifespan and reproduction are controlled by the principal neuroendocrine center of the octopus: the optic glands, which are functional analogs to the vertebrate pituitary gland.8-10 After mating, females steadfastly brood their eggs, begin fasting, and undergo rapid physiological decline, featuring repeated self-injury and leading to death.11 Removal of the optic glands completely reverses this life history trajectory,10 but the signaling factors underlying this major life transition are unknown. Here, we characterize the major secretions and steroidogenic pathways of the female optic gland using mass spectrometry techniques. We find that at least three pathways are mobilized to increase synthesis of select sterol hormones after reproduction. One pathway generates pregnane steroids, known in other animals to support reproduction.12-16 Two other pathways produce 7-dehydrocholesterol and bile acid intermediates, neither of which were previously known to be involved in semelparity. Our results provide insight into invertebrate cholesterol pathways and confirm a remarkable unity of steroid hormone biology in life history processes across Bilateria.}, }
@article {pmid35552760, year = {2022}, author = {DeRaad, DA and McCormack, JE and Chen, N and Peterson, AT and Moyle, RG}, title = {Combining Species Delimitation, Species Trees, and Tests for Gene Flow Clarifies Complex Speciation in Scrub-Jays.}, journal = {Systematic biology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1093/sysbio/syac034}, pmid = {35552760}, issn = {1076-836X}, abstract = {Complex speciation, involving rapid divergence and multiple bouts of post-divergence gene flow, can obfuscate phylogenetic relationships and species limits. In North America, cases of complex speciation are common, due at least in part to the cyclical Pleistocene glacial history of the continent. Scrub-jays in the genus Aphelocoma provide a useful case study in complex speciation because their range throughout North America is structured by phylogeographic barriers with multiple cases of secondary contact between divergent lineages. Here, we show that a comprehensive approach to genomic reconstruction of evolutionary history, i.e., synthesizing results from species delimitation, species tree reconstruction, demographic model testing, and tests for gene flow, is capable of clarifying evolutionary history despite complex speciation. We find concordant evidence across all statistical approaches for the distinctiveness of an endemic southern Mexico lineage (A. w. sumichrasti), culminating in support for the species status of this lineage under any commonly applied species concept. We also find novel genomic evidence for the species status of a Texas endemic lineage A. w. texana, for which equivocal species delimitation results were clarified by demographic modeling and spatially explicit models of gene flow. Finally, we find that complex signatures of both ancient and modern gene flow between the non-sister California Scrub-Jay (A. californica) and Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay (A. woodhouseii), result in discordant gene trees throughout the species' genomes despite clear support for their overall isolation and species status. In sum, we find that a multi-faceted approach to genomic analysis can increase our understanding of complex speciation histories, even in well-studied groups. Given the emerging recognition that complex speciation is relatively commonplace, the comprehensive framework that we demonstrate for interrogation of species limits and evolutionary history using genomic data can provide a necessary roadmap for disentangling the impacts of gene flow and incomplete lineage sorting to better understand the systematics of other groups with similarly complex evolutionary histories.}, }
@article {pmid35552557, year = {2022}, author = {Trivedi, M and Saxena, A and Shroff, Z and Sharma, M}, title = {Experiences and challenges in accessing hospitalization in a government-funded health insurance scheme: Evidence from early implementation of Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (PM-JAY) in India.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {17}, number = {5}, pages = {e0266798}, pmid = {35552557}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Government ; *Health Services Accessibility ; Hospitalization ; Hospitals, Private ; Humans ; India ; *Insurance, Health ; }, abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Government-sponsored health insurance schemes can play an important role in improving the reach of healthcare services. Launched in 2018 in India, Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (PM-JAY) is one of the world's largest government-sponsored health insurance schemes. The objective of this study is to understand beneficiaries' experience of availing healthcare services at the empaneled hospitals in PM-JAY. This study examines the responsiveness of PM-JAY by measuring the prompt attention in service delivery, and access to information by the beneficiaries; financial burden experienced by the beneficiaries; and beneficiary's satisfaction with the experience of hospitalization under PMJAY and its determinants.<br><br>METHODS: The study was conducted during March-August 2019. Data were obtained through a survey conducted with 200 PM-JAY beneficiaries (or their caregivers) in the Indian states of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. The study population comprised of patients who received healthcare services at 14 study hospitals in April 2019. Prompt attention was measured in the form of a) effectiveness of helpdesk, and b) time taken at different stages of hospitalization and discharge events. Access to information by the beneficiaries was measured using the frequency and purpose of text messages and phone calls from the scheme authorities to the beneficiaries. The financial burden was measured in terms of the incidence and magnitude of out-of-pocket payments made by the beneficiaries separate from the cashless payment provided to hospitals by PMJAY. Beneficiaries' satisfaction was measured on a five-point Likert scale.<br><br>RESULTS: Socio-economically weaker sections of the society are availing healthcare services under PM-JAY. In Gujarat, the majority of the beneficiaries were made aware of the scheme by the government official channels. In Madhya Pradesh, the majority of the beneficiaries got to know about the scheme from informal sources. For most of the elements of prompt attention, access to information, and beneficiaries' satisfaction, hospitals in Gujarat performed significantly better than the hospitals in Madhya Pradesh. Similarly, for most of the elements of prompt attention, access to information, and beneficiaries' satisfaction, public hospitals performed significantly better than private hospitals. Incidence and magnitude of out-of-pocket payments were significantly higher in Madhya Pradesh as compared to Gujarat, and in private hospitals as compared to the public hospitals.<br><br>CONCLUSION: There is a need to focus on Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) activities for PM-JAY, especially in Madhya Pradesh. Capacity-building efforts need to be prioritized for private hospitals as compared to public hospitals, and for Madhya Pradesh as compared to Gujarat. There is a need to focus on enhancing the responsiveness of the scheme, and timely exchange of information with beneficiaries. There is also an urgent need for measures aimed at reducing the out-of-pocket payments made by the beneficiaries.}, }
@article {pmid35527352, year = {2022}, author = {Brynychová, K and Sládeček, M and Pešková, L and Chajma, P and Firlová, V and Elhassan, E and Vozabulová, E and Janatová, V and Almuhery, A and Šálek, M}, title = {Aggressiveness in a subtropical shorebird's nest defense is adjusted to the predator species and shared by conspecifics.}, journal = {Aggressive behavior}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1002/ab.22032}, pmid = {35527352}, issn = {1098-2337}, support = {2020B0028_a (to KB, VJ, VF, EE, and MŠ)//IGA FZP/ ; 2021B0025 (to LP, VF, KB, MS, and MŠ)//IGA FZP/ ; TJ02000199 (to MS, KB, VF, VJ, EV, PC, and MŠ)//TACR ZÉTA 2/ ; }, abstract = {Aggression is an important component of an animal's defense when protecting offspring from predators. Ground nesting birds use a variety of defense strategies. However, their choice according to situation context is poorly known, especially in nonpasserines and in the subtropics and tropics. The ability to distinguish between differently dangerous predator species and the opportunity to share defense with conspecifics are potentially important but little-studied aspects of nest defense strategy. We experimentally studied the nest defense of Red-Wattled Lapwing in an individually marked population in a desert area near Dubai, UAE. We used three stuffed models representing 1) a predator dangerous both to adults and to nests (a cat), 2) a nest predator (a raven), and 3) a harmless reference model (a moorhen). We confirmed that the lapwings distinguished between predator species (being most aggressive toward the cat, and least aggressive toward the moorhen) and adjusted their defense strategy accordingly. In addition, conspecific visitors play a variety of roles in parents' defense strategy. They can strengthen the parental reaction, or they can assist in distracting a predator. The visitors included not only nesting neighbors but also nonbreeding floaters. Both parents participated in nest defense to a similar extent, regardless of incubation stage and ambient temperature. This study provides new insight into the complexity of the defensive patterns in ground-nesting birds inhabiting a hot environment. Comparative experimental research on a range of environments, with various bird species and predator models, can help us to understand the drivers of these defensive behavioral patterns.}, }
@article {pmid35526169, year = {2022}, author = {Hopf, C and Bunting, E and Clark, A and Childs-Sanford, S}, title = {Survival and Release of 5 American Crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) Naturally Infected With West Nile Virus.}, journal = {Journal of avian medicine and surgery}, volume = {36}, number = {1}, pages = {85-91}, doi = {10.1647/20-00112}, pmid = {35526169}, issn = {1082-6742}, mesh = {Animals ; Animals, Wild ; *Bird Diseases/epidemiology ; *Crows ; Humans ; *West Nile Fever/epidemiology/veterinary ; *West Nile virus ; }, abstract = {West Nile virus (WNV) has had a significant effect on avian populations in the United States since being first identified in 1999. Avian species in WNV endemic areas do not suffer the same level of mortality that has been reported in birds within the United States since the virus was first identified in North America. Because of their unique susceptibility, American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) are often used to monitor the spread and severity of WNV in North America. American crows with WNV infections are received and treated at the Janet L. Swanson Wildlife Hospital (Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA) on a regular basis during the summer and fall and have historically had a 100% mortality rate. This report describes WNV-positive American crows that were treated, recovered from the infection, and were subsequently released. The 5 American crows in this case series were tested, when possible, by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and plaque reduction neutralization on admission and monitored with both PCR and plaque reduction neutralization throughout their rehabilitation process. Four of the 5 birds had a negative PCR test before release, and 1 bird had a "suspect" positive PCR test result before release. One of the crows was confirmed to have survived for at least 2.5 years after release. Viral shedding was documented up to 93 days after initial hospitalization, which is longer than any previous report of WNV shedding in an American crow.}, }
@article {pmid35522411, year = {2022}, author = {Jalil-Masir, H and Fattahi, R and Ghanbari-Adivi, E and Asadi Aghbolaghi, M and Ehteram, M and Ahmed, AN and El-Shafie, A}, title = {An inclusive multiple model for predicting total sediment transport rate in the presence of coastal vegetation cover based on optimized kernel extreme learning models.}, journal = {Environmental science and pollution research international}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, pmid = {35522411}, issn = {1614-7499}, abstract = {Predicting sediment transport rate (STR) in the presence of flexible vegetation is a critical task for modelers. Sediment transport modeling methods in the coastal region is equally challenging due to the nonlinearity of the STR-vegetation interaction. In the present study, the kernel extreme learning model (KELM) was integrated with the seagull optimization algorithm (SEOA), the crow optimization algorithm (COA), the firefly algorithm (FFA), and particle swarm optimization (PSO) to estimate the STR in the presence of vegetation cover. The rigidity index, D50/wave height, Newton number, drag coefficient, and cover density were used as inputs to the models. The root mean square error (RMSE), the mean absolute error (MAE), and percentage of bias (PBIAS) were used to evaluate the capability of models. This study applied the novel ensemble model, and the inclusive multiple model (IMM), to assemble the outputs of the KELM models. In addition, the innovations of this study were the introduction of a new IMM model, and the use of new hybrid KELM models for predicting STR and investigating the effects of various parameters on the STR. At the testing level, the MAE of the IMM model was 22, 60, 68, 73, and 76% lower than those of the KELM-SEOA, KELM-COA, KELM-PSO, and KELM models, respectively. The IMM had a PBIAS of 5, whereas the KELM-SEOA, KELM-COA, KELM-PSOA, and KELM had PBIAS of 9, 12, 14, 18, and 21%, respectively. The results indicated that the increasing drag coefficient and D50/wave height had decreased the STR. From the findings, it was revealed that the IMM and KELM-SEOA had higher predictive ability for STR. Since the sediment is one of the most important sources of environmental pollution, therefore, this study is useful for monitoring and controlling environmental pollution.}, }
@article {pmid35490423, year = {2022}, author = {}, title = {Cognitive development in 5 years old children is associated with prenatal oxidative stress.}, journal = {Neuro endocrinology letters}, volume = {43}, number = {1}, pages = {}, pmid = {35490423}, issn = {2354-4716}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: To study the impact of oxidative damage associated with particulate mat-ter< 2.5 µm (PM2.5) during prenatal period on the cognitive development in five years old children.<br><br>METHODS: Two cohorts of children aged five years, born in the years 2013 and 2014, were studied for their cognitive development in the polluted district Karvina and the control district Ceske Budejovice. Exposure to PM2.5 in the ambient air was measured for each mother during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy. Oxidative damage was deter-mined from the level of biomarkers at delivery in mothers´ and newborns´ urine as 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2´-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) and in plasma as 15-F2t-isoprostane levels (15-F2t-IsoP). The Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test (BG test) and the Raven Colored Progressive Matrices (RCPM test) were used as psychological cognitive tests.<br><br>RESULTS: Average concentrations of PM2.5 ± SD in the 3rd trimester of mothers´ preg-nancies were 37.7 ± 14.7 µg/m3 and 17.1 ± 4.8 µg/m3 in Karvina and Ceske Budejovice, respectively (p < 0.001). The maternal level of 15-F2t-IsoP in plasma at the time of de-livery was significantly associated with the results of the RCPM test (p < 0.05) and the BG test (p < 0.05) in five years old children.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Lipid peroxidation in maternal plasma at the time of delivery has an adverse effect on the results of psychological cognitive tests in five years old children.}, }
@article {pmid35489251, year = {2022}, author = {Pavia, M and Val, A and Carrera, L and Steininger, CM}, title = {Fossil birds from Cooper's D aid in reconstructing the Early Pleistocene paleoenvironment in the Cradle of Humankind (Gauteng, South Africa).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {167}, number = {}, pages = {103185}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103185}, pmid = {35489251}, issn = {1095-8606}, abstract = {Several large-bodied hominin and nonhuman primates have coexisted in the Cradle of Humankind in South Africa during the Early Pleistocene. Previous paleoenvironmental studies regarding the Plio-Pleistocene of South Africa have focused heavily on mammal assemblages. Here, we conducted a comprehensive taxonomic analysis of the fossil bird remains from Cooper's D, the most fossiliferous locality of the hominin-bearing Cooper's Cave complex in South Africa. Our taxonomic evaluation of 505 remains reveals the presence of 23 bird taxa, two of which are extinct and already reported from the nearby fossil locality of Kromdraai. The taxonomically diverse bird assemblage is dominated by Francolinus sp. and other species associated with open grassland habitats, followed by rock-dwelling species, including Tyto cf. alba and the extinct Corvus bragai, and by woodland species such as Agapornis sp., Accipiter melanoleucos, and the extinct Glaucidium ireneae. The occurrence of these taxa and their respective proportions in the assemblage, in terms of both numbers of bones and individuals, point to the presence of extensive open grassland and/or savannah with rocky outcrops and woodland. These findings corroborate previous analyses of mammals from Cooper's D, with the exception of aquatic species, which are rare in the bird assemblage. Comparison with older deposits from Kromdraai confirms the definitive establishment of open habitats in the Cradle of Humankind during the Early Pleistocene following a transition from woodier habitats during the Late Pliocene. This study constitutes a further step in investigating the fossil bird diversity in the Cradle of Humankind during the Plio-Pleistocene. Our results add to the larger body of work using avian fossils for paleoenvironmental reconstructions in Africa and support the utility of birds as paleoenvironmental proxies. Similar future studies will refine our understanding of the paleoenvironments and landscape transformation during the Plio-Pleistocene, a critical timeframe for hominin evolution in southern Africa.}, }
@article {pmid35488497, year = {2022}, author = {Peona, V and Kutschera, VE and Blom, MPK and Irestedt, M and Suh, A}, title = {Satellite DNA evolution in Corvoidea inferred from short and long reads.}, journal = {Molecular ecology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1111/mec.16484}, pmid = {35488497}, issn = {1365-294X}, support = {2016-05139//Vetenskapsrådet/ ; 2019-03900//Vetenskapsrådet/ ; 2020-04436//Vetenskapsrådet/ ; 621-2014-5113//Vetenskapsrådet/ ; 2017-01597//Svenska Forskningsrådet Formas/ ; //Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation/ ; }, abstract = {Satellite DNA (satDNA) is a fast-evolving portion of eukaryotic genomes. The homogeneous and repetitive nature of such satDNA causes problems during the assembly of genomes, and therefore it is still difficult to study it in detail in nonmodel organisms as well as across broad evolutionary timescales. Here, we combined the use of short- and long-read data to explore the diversity and evolution of satDNA between individuals of the same species and between genera of birds spanning ~40 millions of years of bird evolution using birds-of-paradise (Paradisaeidae) and crow (Corvus) species. These avian species highlighted the presence of a GC-rich Corvoidea satellitome composed of 61 satellite families and provided a set of candidate satDNA monomers for being centromeric on the basis of length, abundance, homogeneity and transcription. Surprisingly, we found that the satDNA of crow species rapidly diverged between closely related species while the satDNA appeared more similar between birds-of-paradise species belonging to different genera.}, }
@article {pmid35476231, year = {2022}, author = {Ocañas, AR and Danoff-Burg, JA and Mulroe, K and Walton, SR}, title = {Addressing the raven food subsidy challenge by engaging restaurants to close their dumpsters.}, journal = {Zoo biology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1002/zoo.21696}, pmid = {35476231}, issn = {1098-2361}, support = {//Southern California Edison/ ; 8006.19.064748//National Fish and Wildlife Foundation/ ; }, abstract = {Ravens have benefitted from resource subsidies provided by humans so much that their population has increased by over 800% in the western Mojave desert over the last 50 years. Our food waste is an especially large subsidy. Raven predation is one of the greatest threats to desert tortoise survival in the California desert. We sought to create and evaluate a behavioral change program among restaurants in Yucca Valley and Twentynine Palms, California in the western Mojave with elevated raven populations. Half of the 60 restaurants in these two communities received an intervention encouraging them to close their dumpsters while the other half served as controls with no intervention. Treatment restaurants received two in-person visits to discuss the manifold importance of dumpster closure and laminated information signs to display and extend communication to staff. We surveyed all dumpsters for open/closed status five times before the intervention and five times again 3 months after the intervention. We found a significant increase in closure rates among treatment restaurants due to the interventions, with an average of 9.5% increase toward maximum possible lid closure. Restaurants achieving 80%+ closure received "Gold Star Awards" to further stimulate community-wide behavior change by publicly recognizing and encouraging desired behaviors. We summarize dumpster closure rates from similar interventions in nearby Joshua Tree and across the Coachella Valley to illustrate how local social norms may influence behavior.}, }
@article {pmid35471293, year = {2022}, author = {Rezaei, MH and Yavari, MH}, title = {CROW-based Fano structures for all optical switching devices.}, journal = {Applied optics}, volume = {61}, number = {11}, pages = {3156-3164}, doi = {10.1364/AO.453364}, pmid = {35471293}, issn = {1539-4522}, abstract = {In this paper, an improved optical Fano switch based on coupled resonator optical waveguides (CROWs) is presented. The new topological design is employed to achieve steeper and highly asymmetric Fano resonances (FRs). Physically, in the proposed structures, due to the increase in the effective refractive index at the center of the CROW, a confined mode arises in the continuum background according to the variational theorem and leads to FR. The results show that in CROW-based Fano switches, the Fano spectrum is improved by tuning the number of nanocavities. The ratio between the slope ratio and linewidth shows an improvement of 55.25% from single to CROW5. As an important application of FR, an ultra-compact device with a CROW-based Fano structure is demonstrated. The results of the numerical finite difference time domain simulation agree well with the theoretical coupled mode theory.}, }
@article {pmid35469528, year = {2022}, author = {Al-Fakih, AM and Algamal, ZY and Qasim, MK}, title = {An improved opposition-based crow search algorithm for biodegradable material classification.}, journal = {SAR and QSAR in environmental research}, volume = {33}, number = {5}, pages = {403-415}, doi = {10.1080/1062936X.2022.2064546}, pmid = {35469528}, issn = {1029-046X}, abstract = {The development of a reliable quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) classification model with a small number of molecular descriptors is a crucial step in chemometrics. In this study, an improvement of crow search algorithm (CSA) is proposed by adapting the opposite-based learning (OBL) approach, which is named as OBL-CSA, to improve the exploration and exploitation capability of the CSA in quantitative structure-biodegradation relationship (QSBR) modelling of classifying the biodegradable materials. The results reveal that the performance of OBL-CSA not only manifest in improving the classification performance, but also in reduced computational time required to complete the process when compared to the standard CSA and other four optimization algorithms tested, which are the particle swarm algorithm (PSO), black hole algorithm (BHA), grey wolf algorithm (GWA), and whale optimization algorithm (WOA). In conclusion, the OBL-CSA could be a valuable resource in the classification of biodegradable materials.}, }
@article {pmid35465830, year = {2022}, author = {Kalaivani, K and Uma Maheswari, N and Venkatesh, R}, title = {Heart disease diagnosis using optimized features of hybridized ALCSOGA algorithm and LSTM classifier.}, journal = {Network (Bristol, England)}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {1-29}, doi = {10.1080/0954898X.2022.2061062}, pmid = {35465830}, issn = {1361-6536}, abstract = {Cardiac disease is the predominant cause of global death mainly due to its hidden symptoms and late diagnosis. Hence, early detection is important to improve quality of life. Though traditional researches attempted to predict heart disease, most of them lacked with respect to accuracy. To solve this, the present study proposes a hybridized Ant Lion Crow Search Optimization Genetic Algorithm (ALCSOGA) to perform effective feature selection. This hybrid optimization encompasses Ant Lion, Crow Search and Genetic Algorithm. Ant lion algorithm determines the elite position. While, the Crow Search Algorithm utilizes the phenomenon of position and memory of each crow for evaluating the objective function. Both these algorithms are fed into Genetic Algorithm to improve the performance of feature selection process. Then, Stochastic Learning rate optimized Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) is proposed to classify the extracted optimized features. Finally, comparative analysis is performed in terms of accuracy, recall, F1-score, and precision. Moreover, statistical analysis is performed with respect to Sum of Squares (SS), degree of freedom (df), F Critical (F crit), F Statistics (F), p, and Mean Square (MS) value. Analytical results revealed the efficiency of proposed system over conventional methods and thereby confirming its efficiency for predicting heart disease.}, }
@article {pmid35459249, year = {2022}, author = {Johnsson, RD and Connelly, F and Gaviraghi Mussoi, J and Vyssotski, AL and Cain, KE and Roth, TC and Lesku, JA}, title = {Sleep loss impairs cognitive performance and alters song output in Australian magpies.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {12}, number = {1}, pages = {6645}, pmid = {35459249}, issn = {2045-2322}, support = {DP170101003//Australian Research Council/ ; DP170101003//Australian Research Council/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Australia ; Birds ; Cognition ; Mammals ; *Sleep ; *Sleep Deprivation/psychology ; Wakefulness ; }, abstract = {Sleep maintains optimal brain functioning to facilitate behavioural flexibility while awake. Owing to a historical bias towards research on mammals, we know comparatively little about the role of sleep in facilitating the cognitive abilities of birds. We investigated how sleep deprivation over the full-night (12 h) or half-night (6 h) affects cognitive performance in adult Australian magpies (Cracticus tibicen), relative to that after a night of undisturbed sleep. Each condition was preceded and followed by a baseline and recovery night of sleep, respectively. Prior to each treatment, birds were trained on an associative learning task; on the day after experimental treatment (recovery day), birds were tested on a reversal learning task. To glean whether sleep loss affected song output, we also conducted impromptu song recordings for three days. Ultimately, sleep-deprived magpies were slower to attempt the reversal learning task, less likely to perform and complete the task, and those that did the test performed worse than better-rested birds. We also found that sleep-deprived magpies sang longer yet fewer songs, shifted crepuscular singing to mid-day, and during the post-recovery day, song frequency bandwidth narrowed. These results collectively indicate that sleep loss impairs motivation and cognitive performance, and alters song output, in a social adult songbird.}, }
@article {pmid35455521, year = {2022}, author = {Stegariu, VI and Abalasei, BA and Stoica, M}, title = {A Study on the Correlation between Intelligence and Body Schema in Children Who Practice Chess at School.}, journal = {Children (Basel, Switzerland)}, volume = {9}, number = {4}, pages = {}, pmid = {35455521}, issn = {2227-9067}, abstract = {The role of intelligence in chess is crucial because the game involves a situation of adversity between two players whose goal is to checkmate the opponent's king. Due to the complex nature of the game and the huge amount of information needed to become a professional chess player, the ability to receive, analyze, sort and use abstract notions is essential. A total of 67 children from the third grade were selected and tested twice, initially and finally, to establish the level of body schema and intelligence. The Raven test was used to numerically quantify their intelligence and the Goodenough test was conducted for the body schema. We used the paired samples T-test to highlight the statistical difference between the results and performed a simple linear regression to see if the level of intelligence is a predictor of the body schema. There is a linear relationship between intelligence and body schema, and we can use the first one to predict the evolution of the second. In conclusion, body schema can be educated through chess lessons, and this will lead to better psychomotor development.}, }
@article {pmid35455490, year = {2022}, author = {Smirni, P and Smirni, D}, title = {Current and Potential Cognitive Development in Healthy Children: A New Approach to Raven Coloured Progressive Matrices.}, journal = {Children (Basel, Switzerland)}, volume = {9}, number = {4}, pages = {}, pmid = {35455490}, issn = {2227-9067}, abstract = {In clinical practice and research, Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices (RCPMs) continue to be used according to a single procedure that aims to evaluate a single overall score of the current general intelligence level. This study aimed to examine potential cognitive development in a sample of 450 typically developing children, aged from 6 to 10 years, by administering RCPMs according to the standard procedure followed immediately by a standardized interview on incorrect items. In addition, the study aimed to analyze how performance differed across age groups. The results analysis was examined on the basis of three different factors in which the items were grouped in previous factorial studies. The results found that performance improved markedly and significantly after the interview; however, the improvement was not homogeneous in the three factors across age groups or within each age group. The age groups showed a different development potential in relation to the nature of the task: the younger ones showed a greater increase on items requiring figure completion, and the older ones showed a greater increase on analogical reasoning items. Finally, the children who showed the greatest improvement were those with the best performance in standard RCPM administration. The procedure described in the present research could represent a useful tool in clinical practice and in the research for a broader cognitive assessment focused on potential cognitive development, as well as on real cognitive development, and to favor the planning of more adequate rehabilitation and educational treatments.}, }
@article {pmid35449129, year = {2022}, author = {Garcia-Porta, J and Sol, D and Pennell, M and Sayol, F and Kaliontzopoulou, A and Botero, CA}, title = {Niche expansion and adaptive divergence in the global radiation of crows and ravens.}, journal = {Nature communications}, volume = {13}, number = {1}, pages = {2086}, pmid = {35449129}, issn = {2041-1723}, support = {DEB 1841470//NSF | BIO | Division of Environmental Biology (DEB)/ ; FJCI-2014-20380//Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte (Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, Spain)/ ; CGL2017-90033-P//Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte (Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, Spain)/ ; }, mesh = {Adaptation, Physiological ; Animals ; Biological Evolution ; *Crows ; Ecosystem ; Phylogeny ; }, abstract = {The processes that allow some lineages to diversify rapidly at a global scale remain poorly understood. Although earlier studies emphasized the importance of dispersal, global expansions expose populations to novel environments and may also require adaptation and diversification across new niches. In this study, we investigated the contributions of these processes to the global radiation of crows and ravens (genus Corvus). Combining a new phylogeny with comprehensive phenotypic and climatic data, we show that Corvus experienced a massive expansion of the climatic niche that was coupled with a substantial increase in the rates of species and phenotypic diversification. The initiation of these processes coincided with the evolution of traits that promoted dispersal and niche expansion. Our findings suggest that rapid global radiations may be better understood as processes in which high dispersal abilities synergise with traits that, like cognition, facilitate persistence in new environments.}, }
@article {pmid35428810, year = {2022}, author = {Amor, N and Noman, MT and Petru, M and Sebastian, N}, title = {Comfort evaluation of ZnO coated fabrics by artificial neural network assisted with golden eagle optimizer model.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {12}, number = {1}, pages = {6350}, pmid = {35428810}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Algorithms ; Animals ; *Eagles ; Neural Networks, Computer ; Propylamines ; Sulfides ; Textiles ; *Zinc Oxide ; }, abstract = {This paper introduces a novel technique to evaluate comfort properties of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) coated woven fabrics. The proposed technique combines artificial neural network (ANN) and golden eagle optimizer (GEO) to ameliorate the training process of ANN. Neural networks are state-of-the-art machine learning models used for optimal state prediction of complex problems. Recent studies showed that the use of metaheuristic algorithms improve the prediction accuracy of ANN. GEO is the most advanced methaheurstic algorithm inspired by golden eagles and their intelligence for hunting by tuning their speed according to spiral trajectory. From application point of view, this study is a very first attempt where GEO is applied along with ANN to improve the training process of ANN for any textiles and composites application. Furthermore, the proposed algorithm ANN with GEO (ANN-GEO) was applied to map out the complex input-output conditions for optimal results. Coated amount of ZnO NPs, fabric mass and fabric thickness were selected as input variables and comfort properties were evaluated as output results. The obtained results reveal that ANN-GEO model provides high performance accuracy than standard ANN model, ANN models trained with latest metaheuristic algorithms including particle swarm optimizer and crow search optimizer, and conventional multiple linear regression.}, }
@article {pmid35418640, year = {2022}, author = {}, title = {First Rounders: Jay Keasling.}, journal = {Nature biotechnology}, volume = {40}, number = {4}, pages = {475}, doi = {10.1038/s41587-022-01292-4}, pmid = {35418640}, issn = {1546-1696}, mesh = {*Biotechnology ; }, }
@article {pmid35403214, year = {2022}, author = {Sianta, SA and Kay, KM}, title = {Phylogenomic analysis does not support a classic but controversial hypothesis of progenitor-derivative origins for the serpentine endemic Clarkia franciscana.}, journal = {Evolution; international journal of organic evolution}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1111/evo.14484}, pmid = {35403214}, issn = {1558-5646}, support = {Dimensions of Biodiversity DEB-1342873//National Science Foundation/ ; Graduate Research Fellowship DGE-1339067//National Science Foundation/ ; A National Parks Ecological Research Postdoctoral Fellowship//National Science Foundation/ ; }, abstract = {Budding speciation involves isolation of marginal populations at the periphery of a species range and is thought to be a prominent mode of speciation in organisms with low dispersal and/or strong local adaptation among populations. Budding speciation is typically evidenced by abutting, asymmetric ranges of ecologically divergent sister species and low genetic diversity in putative budded species. Yet these indirect patterns may be unreliable, instead caused by postspeciation processes such as range or demographic shifts. Nested phylogenetic relationships provide the most conclusive evidence of budding speciation. A putative case of budding speciation in the serpentine endemic Clarkia franciscana and two closely related widespread congeners was studied by Harlan Lewis, Peter Raven, Leslie Gottlieb, and others over a 20-year period, yet the origin of C. franciscana remains controversial. Here, we reinvestigate this system with phylogenomic analyses to determine whether C. franciscana is a recently derived budded species, phylogenetically nested within one of the other two putative progenitor species. In contrast to the hypothesized pattern of relatedness among the three Clarkia species, we find no evidence for recent budding speciation. Instead, the data suggest the three species diverged simultaneously. We urge caution in using contemporary range patterns to infer geographic modes of speciation.}, }
@article {pmid35370868, year = {2021}, author = {Sofologi, M and Pliogou, V and Bonti, E and Efstratopoulou, M and Kougioumtzis, GA and Papatzikis, E and Ntritsos, G and Moraitou, D and Papantoniou, G}, title = {An Investigation of Working Memory Profile and Fluid Intelligence in Children With Neurodevelopmental Difficulties.}, journal = {Frontiers in psychology}, volume = {12}, number = {}, pages = {773732}, pmid = {35370868}, issn = {1664-1078}, abstract = {The present study aims to evaluate the distinct patterns of working memory (WM) capacity of children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), High-functioning children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and children with Down syndrome (DS). More specifically, the current study investigates the complex relationship of fluid intelligence and WM between 39 children with DLD, 20 H igh-functioning children with ASD, and 15 children with DS. All children were evaluated in different measures of Phonological Working Memory, Visual-spatial Working Memory whereas Fluid Intelligence was measured with Raven Progressive Matrices. The result analysis revealed a significant difference among the three groups, both among each function separately and the correlations among them, as well. The results revealed that the DLD groups and High-functioning ASD group exhibited a common picture or an overlap of performances in all Phonological and Visuo-spatial working memory measures, except Backward Digit Recall task. As for the DS group research findings revealed different and unique working memory patterns in comparison to DLD group and High-functioning ASD. Their differences have been studied and further conclusions have been drawn about the different patterns of working memory among the three clinical groups. The implications of these findings are discussed in light of support for learning. The common profile that characterize the two developmental conditions and the distinct pattern of working memory performance in DS group underlies the need for further research in the field.}, }
@article {pmid35365698, year = {2022}, author = {Holtmann, B and Buskas, J and Steele, M and Sokolovskis, K and Wolf, JBW}, title = {Author Correction: Dominance relationships and coalitionary aggression against conspecifics in female carrion crows.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {12}, number = {1}, pages = {5537}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-022-09406-3}, pmid = {35365698}, issn = {2045-2322}, }
@article {pmid35338240, year = {2022}, author = {Ditz, HM and Fechner, J and Nieder, A}, title = {Cell-type specific pallial circuits shape categorical tuning responses in the crow telencephalon.}, journal = {Communications biology}, volume = {5}, number = {1}, pages = {269}, pmid = {35338240}, issn = {2399-3642}, support = {Ni 618/11-1//Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation)/ ; }, mesh = {Action Potentials/physiology ; Animals ; Cognition/physiology ; *Crows ; Mammals ; Neurons/physiology ; Telencephalon ; }, abstract = {The nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL), an integration centre in the telencephalon of birds, plays a crucial role in representing and maintaining abstract categories and concepts. However, the computational principles allowing pallial microcircuits consisting of excitatory and inhibitory neurons to shape the tuning to abstract categories remain elusive. Here we identified the major pallial cell types, putative excitatory projection cells and inhibitory interneurons, by characterizing the waveforms of action potentials recorded in crows performing a cognitively demanding numerical categorization task. Both cell types showed clear differences in their capacity to encode categorical information. Nearby and functionally coupled putative projection neurons generally exhibited similar tuning, whereas putative interneurons showed mainly opposite tuning. The results favour feedforward mechanisms for the shaping of categorical tuning in microcircuits of the NCL. Our findings help to decipher the workings of pallial microcircuits in birds during complex cognition and to compare them vis-a-vis neocortical processes in mammals.}, }
@article {pmid35335628, year = {2022}, author = {Verma, AK and Kumar, M and Murugkar, HV and Nagarajan, S and Tosh, C and Namdeo, P and Singh, R and Mishra, S and Kombiah, S and Dhanapal, S and Singh, VP}, title = {Experimental Infection and In-Contact Transmission of H9N2 Avian Influenza Virus in Crows.}, journal = {Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland)}, volume = {11}, number = {3}, pages = {}, pmid = {35335628}, issn = {2076-0817}, support = {OXX01585//Indian Council of Agricultural Research/ ; }, abstract = {This study aimed to investigate the potential of H9N2 avian influenza virus to cause disease and intra-species transmission in house crows (Corvus splendens). A group of six crows were intranasally inoculated with 106.0 EID50 of H9N2 virus (A/chicken/India/07OR17/2021), and 24 h post-inoculation six naïve crows were co-housed with infected crows. Crows were observed for 14 days for any overt signs of illness. Oropharyngeal and cloacal swabs were collected up to 14 days to assess virus excretion. No apparent clinical signs were observed in either infected or in-contact crows. Virus excretion was observed only in infected birds up to 9 days post-infection (dpi) through both oropharyngeal and cloacal routes. All six infected crows seroconverted to H9N2 virus at 14 dpi, whereas all in-contact crows remained negative to H9N2 virus antibodies. No virus could be isolated from tissues viz., lung, liver, kidney, pancreas, small intestine and large intestine. Although crows became infected with the H9N2 virus, transmission of the virus was inefficient to the in-contact group. However, virus excretion through oral and cloacal swabs from infected crows suggests a potential threat for inter-species transmission, including humans. Crows, being a common synanthrope species, might have some role in influenza virus transmission to poultry and humans, which needs to be explored further.}, }
@article {pmid35331241, year = {2022}, author = {Valkiūnas, G and Duc, M and Iezhova, TA}, title = {Increase of avian Plasmodium circumflexum prevalence, but not of other malaria parasites and related haemosporidians in northern Europe during the past 40 years.}, journal = {Malaria journal}, volume = {21}, number = {1}, pages = {105}, pmid = {35331241}, issn = {1475-2875}, mesh = {Animals ; *Haemosporida ; Humans ; *Parasites ; *Passeriformes ; *Plasmodium/genetics ; Prevalence ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Malaria is a health problem not only in human and veterinary medicine, but also in wildlife. Several theoretical studies have suggested that avian malaria transmission might be increasing in Europe. However, there are few direct empirical observations. Research on the distribution of avian haemosporidian parasites was initiated around the Curonian Lagoon, Europe in 1976 and continues since. This has provided an opportunity to compare the prevalence and diversity of avian malaria parasites (genus Plasmodium) and related haemosporidians (genera Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon) in the same bird species using similar methodology but examined in two groups 40 years apart. This study aimed to describe and discuss the available data on this subject.<br><br>METHODS: Prevalence and diversity of haemosporidians was compared in two passeriform bird groups, which consisted of the same species that were sampled on the coast of the Curonian Lagoon (Russia, Lithuania) during the same season (September) in 1978-1983 (bird Group 1) and 2020 (bird Group 2). Blood films of the European robin, Coal tit, Great tit, Eurasian wren, and Eurasian jay were screened by microscopic examination. Parasites were identified using morphological characters of blood stages. PCR-based methods were applied to determine genetic lineages of the parasites found in birds of Group 2.<br><br>RESULTS: No difference was discernible in the prevalence or diversity of haemosporidian parasites belonging to Haemoproteus, Leucocytozoon, Plasmodium (Haemamoeba) and Plasmodium (Novyella) between birds of Groups 1 and 2. This indicates a similar rate of transmission and relatively stable epidemiological situation in regard of these infections during the past 40 years. The prevalence of only one malaria parasite species, Plasmodium (Giovannolaia) circumflexum, increased remarkably, but only in Coal tit, Great tit, and Eurasian wren, with no significant prevalence change in European robin and Eurasian jay.<br><br>CONCLUSION: Plasmodium circumflexum is spreading and seems to be a new invasive avian malaria pathogen in countries with cold climates. The exceptionally high prevalence of P. circumflexum in birds breeding in relatively close-nests suggests an important role of the nesting biology related to bird-vector interaction in this pathogen transmission. The epidemiological situation seems to be relatively stable in regard of other studied avian hosts and haemosporidian parasites in northern Europe.}, }
@article {pmid35315161, year = {2022}, author = {Cheek, RG and Forester, BR and Salerno, PE and Trumbo, DR and Langin, KM and Chen, N and Scott Sillett, T and Morrison, SA and Ghalambor, CK and Chris Funk, W}, title = {Habitat-linked genetic variation supports microgeographic adaptive divergence in an island-endemic bird species.}, journal = {Molecular ecology}, volume = {31}, number = {10}, pages = {2830-2846}, doi = {10.1111/mec.16438}, pmid = {35315161}, issn = {1365-294X}, support = {//Nature Conservancy/ ; DEB-1754821//National Science Foundation/ ; //Smithsonian Institution/ ; //Colorado State University/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Ecosystem ; Gene Flow ; Genetic Variation ; Genetics, Population ; *Genome-Wide Association Study ; Humans ; Male ; *Passeriformes/genetics ; Selection, Genetic ; }, abstract = {We investigated the potential mechanisms driving habitat-linked genetic divergence within a bird species endemic to a single 250-km2 island. The island scrub-jay (Aphelocoma insularis) exhibits microgeographic divergence in bill morphology across pine-oak ecotones on Santa Cruz Island, California (USA), similar to adaptive differences described in mainland congeners over much larger geographic scales. To test whether individuals exhibit genetic differentiation related to habitat type and divergence in bill length, we genotyped over 3000 single nucleotide polymorphisms in 123 adult island scrub-jay males from across Santa Cruz Island using restriction site-associated DNA sequencing. Neutral landscape genomic analyses revealed that genome-wide genetic differentiation was primarily related to geographic distance and differences in habitat composition. We also found 168 putatively adaptive loci associated with habitat type using multivariate redundancy analysis while controlling for spatial effects. Finally, two genome-wide association analyses revealed a polygenic basis to variation in bill length with multiple loci detected in or near genes known to affect bill morphology in other birds. Our findings support the hypothesis that divergent selection at microgeographic scales can cause adaptive divergence in the presence of ongoing gene flow.}, }
@article {pmid35315058, year = {2022}, author = {Wampole, EM and Gerber, BD and Farris, ZJ and Razafimahaimodison, JC and Andrianarisoa, MH and Ralazampirenena, CJ and Wright, PC and Rasamisoa, CD and Gibson, D and Tobler, MW and Eppley, TM and Vasey, N and Johnson, SE and Filla, C and Valenta, K and Ross, P and Murphy, A and Karpanty, SM and Kelly, MJ and Anderson, C and Cardinal, C and Donati, G and Razafy, P and Rafaliarison, R and Rasambainarivo, F and Razafindramanana, J and Merson, SD and Larney, E}, title = {Madagascar Terrestrial Camera Survey Database 2021: A collation of protected forest camera surveys from 2007-2021.}, journal = {Ecology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {e3687}, doi = {10.1002/ecy.3687}, pmid = {35315058}, issn = {1939-9170}, abstract = {Madagascar is a threatened global biodiversity hotspot and conservation priority, yet we lack broad-scale surveys to assess biodiversity across space and time. To fill this gap, we collated camera trap surveys, capturing species occurrences within Madagascar into a single standardized database. This data set includes nine distinct protected areas of Madagascar and encompasses 13 subprojects, 38 camera arrays, and 1156 sampling units (independent camera site per survey) within two important biodiversity eco-regions: western dry deciduous forest and eastern humid rainforest. Camera surveys were conducted from June 2007 to January 2021. The final data set includes 17 unique families of mammals (Bovidae, Canidae, Cheirogaleidae, Daubentoniidae, Equidae, Eupleridae, Felidae, Hominidae, Indriidae, Lemuridae, Lepilemuridae, Muridae, Nesomyidae, Pteropodidae, Soricidae, Suidae, Tenrecidae) comprising 45 species and 27 unique families of birds (Accipitridae, Acrocephalidae, Alcedinidae, Bernieridae, Brachypteraciidae, Caprimulgidae, Cisticolidae, Columbidae, Coraciidae, Corvidae, Cuculidae, Dicruridae, Mesitornithidae, Monarchidae, Motacillidae, Muscicapidae, Numididae, Phasianidae, Rallidae, Sarothruridae, Strigidae, Sturnidae, Sulidae, Threskiornithidae, Upupidae, Vangidae, Zosteropidae) comprising 58 species. Images were processed and verified by individual project data set creators and camera operation and species tables were then collated. The final product represents the first broad-scale freely available standardized formal faunal database for Madagascar. Data are available through this publication and at DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5801806. These data will be useful for examining species-level and community-level trends in occurrence across space or time within Madagascar and globally, evaluating native and invasive species dynamics, and will aid in determining species conservation status and planning for at-risk species. There are no copyright restrictions; please cite this paper when using the data for publication.}, }
@article {pmid35308384, year = {2022}, author = {Boostrom, I and Portal, EAR and Spiller, OB and Walsh, TR and Sands, K}, title = {Comparing Long-Read Assemblers to Explore the Potential of a Sustainable Low-Cost, Low-Infrastructure Approach to Sequence Antimicrobial Resistant Bacteria With Oxford Nanopore Sequencing.}, journal = {Frontiers in microbiology}, volume = {13}, number = {}, pages = {796465}, pmid = {35308384}, issn = {1664-302X}, abstract = {Long-read sequencing (LRS) can resolve repetitive regions, a limitation of short read (SR) data. Reduced cost and instrument size has led to a steady increase in LRS across diagnostics and research. Here, we re-basecalled FAST5 data sequenced between 2018 and 2021 and analyzed the data in relation to gDNA across a large dataset (n = 200) spanning a wide GC content (25-67%). We examined whether re-basecalled data would improve the hybrid assembly, and, for a smaller cohort, compared long read (LR) assemblies in the context of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes and mobile genetic elements. We included a cost analysis when comparing SR and LR instruments. We compared the R9 and R10 chemistries and reported not only a larger yield but increased read quality with R9 flow cells. There were often discrepancies with ARG presence/absence and/or variant detection in LR assemblies. Flye-based assemblies were generally efficient at detecting the presence of ARG on both the chromosome and plasmids. Raven performed more quickly but inconsistently recovered small plasmids, notably a ∼15-kb Col-like plasmid harboring bla KPC . Canu assemblies were the most fragmented, with genome sizes larger than expected. LR assemblies failed to consistently determine multiple copies of the same ARG as identified by the Unicycler reference. Even with improvements to ONT chemistry and basecalling, long-read assemblies can lead to misinterpretation of data. If LR data are currently being relied upon, it is necessary to perform multiple assemblies, although this is resource (computing) intensive and not yet readily available/useable.}, }
@article {pmid35302039, year = {2022}, author = {Bravo, C and Sarasa, M and Bretagnolle, V and Pays, O}, title = {Detectability and predator strategy affect egg depredation rates: Implications for mitigating nest depredation in farmlands.}, journal = {The Science of the total environment}, volume = {829}, number = {}, pages = {154558}, doi = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154558}, pmid = {35302039}, issn = {1879-1026}, abstract = {Predation is a major evolutionary force in animal ecology. Mechanisms by which prey coloration provides camouflage has been widely studied. However, predator response to prey camouflage and concealment has received less attention. Understanding vegetation structure effect on depredation success could help managers design strategies to mitigate the depredation of managed species (e.g., threatened or hunted). We aimed to investigate the relationship between depredation rate, nest camouflage and concealment in ground-nesting birds of farmlands, and their predators. We set up an experiment of 2576 artificial ground nests to assess the role of egg coloration (white, light green, and dark green), egg size (small, medium, and large), and vegetation structure (vegetation height and land use) in nest survival rates. We also explored the role of predator searching strategies by analysing clumped depredation and multiple depredation events. Of the nests, 34.0% were depredated, with corvids as the predators 78.5% of the time. Corvid depredation decreased by 40-60% in grasslands and spring crops above a vegetation height of 30 cm. In contrast, vegetation height and land use may be of far less importance in avoiding depredation by other predators. The probability of depredation was spatially clumped, suggesting that predators increase search effort in areas where a nest was previously encountered. Neighboring depredation and depredation repetition were more frequent in corvids than in other predators. Our study indicates that nests in vegetation higher than 30 cm had a drastic reduction in depredation rates by corvids. Management of vegetation structure is a key tool to mitigate depredation risk, and improving the availability of alternative food resources may be a complementary tool.}, }
@article {pmid35298198, year = {2022}, author = {Murillo, L}, title = {Harvey Schlossberg (1936-2021).}, journal = {The American psychologist}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1037/amp0000997}, pmid = {35298198}, issn = {1935-990X}, abstract = {Memorializes Harvey Schlossberg (1936-2021). Author of Psychologist With a Gun (1974), Schlossberg was the first New York Police Department (NYPD) police officer with a PhD in psychology, and a pioneer in police psychology. With the help of two other patrolmen, he developed a program that would evaluate the recruits who entered the Police Academy. He was featured in the 1999 documentary "The Sons of Sam: A Decent into Darkness" in which David Berkowitz was investigated by the NYPD and Schlossberg helped solve the crime. By 1974, Schlossberg began teaching at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. After leaving the NYPD in 1978, he served as chief Psychologist for the police department in Rye, New York (1988-1994), and for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (1990-1999). He continued to expand the Psychological Services for the NYPD and pioneered treatment for violence-prone police. Schlossberg passed away peacefully on May 21, 2021. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).}, }
@article {pmid35287378, year = {2022}, author = {Dida, H and Charif, F and Benchabane, A}, title = {Registration of computed tomography images of a lung infected with COVID-19 based in the new meta-heuristic algorithm HPSGWO.}, journal = {Multimedia tools and applications}, volume = {81}, number = {13}, pages = {18955-18976}, doi = {10.1007/s11042-022-12658-w}, pmid = {35287378}, issn = {1380-7501}, abstract = {Computed tomography (CT) helps the radiologist in the rapid and correct detection of a person infected with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and this by showing the presence of the ground-glass opacity in the lung of with the virus. Tracking the evolution of the spread of the ground-glass opacity (GGO) in the lung of the person infected with the virus needs to study more than one image in different times. The various CT images must be registration to identify the evolution of the ground glass in the lung and to facilitate the study and identification of the virus. Due to the process of registration images is essentially an improvement problem, we present in this paper a new HPSGWO algorithm for registration CT images of a lung infected with the COVID-19. This algorithm is a hybridization of the two algorithms Particle swarm optimization (PSO) and Grey wolf optimizer (GWO). The simulation results obtained after applying the algorithm to the test images show that the proposed approach achieved high-precision and robust registration compared to other methods such as GWO, PSO, Firefly Algorithm (FA), and Crow Searcha Algorithms (CSA).}, }
@article {pmid35270106, year = {2022}, author = {Aboelkassem, A and Alzamel, NM and Alzain, MN and Loutfy, N}, title = {Effect of Pb-Contaminated Water on Ludwigia stolonifera (Guill. &amp; Perr.) P.H. Raven Physiology and Phytoremediation Performance.}, journal = {Plants (Basel, Switzerland)}, volume = {11}, number = {5}, pages = {}, pmid = {35270106}, issn = {2223-7747}, abstract = {A laboratory experiment was led to examine the lead bioaccumulation capacity of Ludwigia stolonifera (Guill. &amp; Perr.) exposed to various Pb concentrations (0, 10, 25, 50, and 100 mg/L) for 1, 3, 5, and 7 days. The lead accumulation increased as the metal concentrations in the solution increased and over time, to an extreme accretion of 6840 mg/kg DW(dry weight) at 100 mg/L of lead on the 10 days exposure. The proportion removal efficiency, translocation factor, and bioconcentration factor of the plant were assessed. The maximum bioconcentration factor values (1981.13) indicate that the plant was a Pb hyperaccumulator, and translocation factor values (1.85), which are >1, indicate fit of L. stolonifera for eliminating Pb in Pb-contaminated water. Photosynthetic pigments were decreased with increase of Pb concentration and time exposure. Total chlorophyll content and Chl a/b ratio lowered to between 46 and 62% at 100 mg/L Pb after 10 days exposure. Protein content and soluble carbohydrate indicated a similar trend, which showed the highest decrease (7.26 and 36.2 mg/g FW(fresh weight), respectively) at 100 mg/L of Pb after 10 days. The activity of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, ascorbate, and peroxidase was increased significantly in comparison to the control. The results indicate that L. stolonifera is a newly recognized Pb hyperaccumulator (6840 mg/kg DW), but physiological status indicates that the plant is not tolerant to high Pb concentrations.}, }
@article {pmid35262199, year = {2022}, author = {Cogni, R and Quental, TB and Guimarães, PR}, title = {Ehrlich and Raven escape and radiate coevolution hypothesis at different levels of organization: Past and future perspectives.}, journal = {Evolution; international journal of organic evolution}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1111/evo.14456}, pmid = {35262199}, issn = {1558-5646}, abstract = {The classic paper by Ehrlich and Raven on coevolution will soon be 60 years old. Although they were not the first to develop the idea of coevolution, their thought-provoking paper certainly popularized this idea and inspired several generations of scientists interested in coevolution. Here, we describe some of their main contributions, quantitatively measure the impact of their seminal paper on different fields of research, and discuss how ideas related to their original paper might push the study of coevolution forward. To guide our discussion, we explore their original hypothesis into three research fields that are associated with distinct scales/levels of organization: (1) the genetic mechanisms underlying coevolutionary interactions; (2) the potential association between coevolutionary diversification and the organization of ecological networks; and (3) the micro- and macroevolutionary mechanisms and expected patterns under their hypothesis. By doing so, we discuss potentially overlooked aspects and future directions for the study of coevolutionary dynamics and diversification.}, }
@article {pmid35250890, year = {2022}, author = {Yu, X and Jiang, Y and Li, Y and He, Q and Pan, L and Zhu, P and Wang, Y and Wang, P}, title = {Comparison of Different Mandibular Jawlines Classifications on Transoral Endoscopic Thyroidectomy for Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: Experiences of 690 Cases.}, journal = {Frontiers in endocrinology}, volume = {13}, number = {}, pages = {842148}, pmid = {35250890}, issn = {1664-2392}, mesh = {Humans ; *Natural Orifice Endoscopic Surgery/adverse effects ; Retrospective Studies ; Thyroid Cancer, Papillary/etiology/surgery ; *Thyroid Neoplasms/pathology ; Thyroidectomy/adverse effects ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: The influences of patients' different mandibular jawlines on transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy via vestibular approach (TOETVA) have not been described before. The objective of this study was to introduce a new classification to assess different mandibular jawlines, and to evaluate the effects on TOETVA in terms of safety, feasibility, and postoperative feelings in the treatment of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).<br><br>METHODS: The crossing angle of esthetic plane and mandibular plane was defined as Wang Angle, used to assess patients' different mandibular jawlines. Mandibular classifications of A (angle: 80° ~ 110°), B (angle > 110°), and C (angle < 80°) types were compared to evaluate the surgical outcomes of TOETVA by a retrospective study. 690 patients of PTC who received TOETVA were included in this study, which were divided into three groups according to mandibular classifications.<br><br>RESULTS: Clinicopathological characteristics of the patients including age, gender, body mass index, tumor size, Hashimoto thyroiditis were similar in the three groups. Patients' length of jay in group C was significantly longer than group A and group B (P < 0.01). The ratios of using suspension system in group C were significantly higher than group A and group B (P < 0.01). The scores of postoperative visual analogue scale (VAS) and ratios of mandibular swell in group C were significantly higher than group A and group B (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in the three groups regarding surgical outcomes, including postoperative vocal cord paralysis, hypocalcemia, serum white blood cells and C-reactive protein levels.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The Wang angle and mandibular jawline classifications were firstly introduced in TOETVA. All the patients of class A, B, and C mandibular jawline can achieve safe and effective surgical outcomes in the treatment of PTC with TOETVA. Patients of class C need more assistance of suspension system, would experience higher scores of VAS, and higher ratios of mandibular swell compared with class A and B.}, }
@article {pmid35250755, year = {2022}, author = {Nittono, H and Ohashi, A and Komori, M}, title = {Creation and Validation of the Japanese Cute Infant Face (JCIF) Dataset.}, journal = {Frontiers in psychology}, volume = {13}, number = {}, pages = {819428}, pmid = {35250755}, issn = {1664-1078}, abstract = {Research interest in cuteness perception and its effects on subsequent behavior and physiological responses has recently been increasing. The purpose of the present study was to produce a dataset of Japanese infant faces that are free of portrait rights and can be used for cuteness research. A total of 80 original facial images of 6-month-old infants were collected from their parents. The cuteness level of each picture was rated on a 7-point scale by 200 Japanese people (100 men and 100 women in their 20s-60s). Prototypical high- and low-cuteness faces were created by averaging the top 10 and bottom 10 faces according to the mean cuteness ratings. Then, 50 composite faces were made by mixing two faces randomly chosen from the 60 unused middle-cuteness faces. The normative cuteness ratings of these composite faces were obtained from 229 Japanese men and women in their 20s-60s. The shape of each composite face was transformed to be cuter (+50%) or less cute (-50%) along a continuum between the high- and low-cuteness prototypical faces. A two-alternative forced-choice task (N = 587) confirmed that cuteness discrimination was better than the chance level for all 50 face pairs. Moreover, the results showed that young men had poorer sensitivity to cuteness differences in infant faces than older men and women of any age. This Japanese Cute Infant Face (JCIF, "jay-sif") dataset, including composite face images and normative rating scores, is publicly available online.}, }
@article {pmid35238601, year = {2022}, author = {Kroupin, IG and Carey, SE}, title = {The importance of inference in relational reasoning: Relational matching as a case study.}, journal = {Journal of experimental psychology. General}, volume = {151}, number = {1}, pages = {224-245}, doi = {10.1037/xge0001068}, pmid = {35238601}, issn = {1939-2222}, support = {//James S. McDonnell Foundation/ ; //Harvard University/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Concept Formation ; Humans ; *Problem Solving ; }, abstract = {Nonhuman animals and preschoolers struggle with Relational-Match-to-Sample (RMTS), a classic test of the capacity for second-order relational, analogical, and reasoning. These failures are often explained by limitations in representational or computational capacities. Drawing on recent evidence for robust spontaneous RMTS success (i.e., without error-feedback) in crows and parrots after minimal second-order training, we present five experiments with human adults consistent with the possibility that population differences sometimes instead derive from differences in inductive biases alone. Experiment 1 confirms human adults have the capacities and requisite representations to succeed spontaneously on RMTS. Experiments 2-5 utilize a modified RMTS task in which adults make relational matches only about half of the time. Experiment 3 tests whether eight trials of various MTS tasks, nonsecond-order training featured in the aforementioned comparative studies, can increase spontaneous second-order relational responding in human adults. Two of the MTS tasks (Number, Size MTS) do so, demonstrating that MTS training can, in fact, increase relational responding by changing inductive biases alone. The other MTS tasks (Identity, Color MTS) do not do so, evidence that the facilitating effect is not a result of matching involved in MTS per se. Experiments 4 and 5 test one hypothesized mechanism by which specifically Number/Size MTS tasks may have led to increased relational responding, that is, by inhibiting preexisting biases to match on shape and/or color, making relational matches relatively more likely. We close by discussing the importance of research into inductive biases to the project of understanding relational reasoning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).}, }
@article {pmid35201636, year = {2022}, author = {Abdel Maksoud, MKM and Ibrahim, AAH and Nabil, TM and Moawad, UK}, title = {Histomorphological, histochemical and scanning electron microscopic investigation of the proventriculus (Ventriculus glandularis) of the hooded crow (Corvus cornix).}, journal = {Anatomia, histologia, embryologia}, volume = {51}, number = {3}, pages = {380-389}, doi = {10.1111/ahe.12798}, pmid = {35201636}, issn = {1439-0264}, mesh = {Animals ; *Crows ; Electrons ; Female ; Gizzard, Avian/anatomy &amp; histology ; Male ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning/veterinary ; *Proventriculus/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The current investigation aimed to clarify the histomorphological features, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and histochemistry of the proventriculus in the adult hooded crow (Corvus cornix). Twenty-two adult birds of both sexes were collected from El-Fayoum and Beni-Suef governorates, Egypt; ten were used for anatomical investigation, two were scanned using SEM, and ten were subjected to routine histological technique. The obtained anatomical results revealed a small-sized spindle-shaped proventriculus obliquely located in the left ventral part of the body cavity with an average body weight, length and diameter of 1.689 ± 0.231 gm, 1.54 ± 0.383cm and 3.51 ± 0.416cm, respectively. The histological examination revealed a typical tubular organ. The mucosa exhibited several plicae and sulci that were lined with simple columnar cells. The lamina propria was composed of collagenous connective tissue infiltrated by lymphocytes, lymphatic aggregations and tubular glands. The submucosa consisted of collagenic fibres and compound tubuloalveolar glandular lobules lined with oxynticopeptic cells and enteroendocrine cells. The oxynticopeptic cells reacted negatively with PAS and Alcian Blue stains, whereas the ductal cells reacted positively with PAS only. Enteroendocrine cells were seen singly in the lamina epithelialis mucosae and were abundant in submucosal glands. The tunica musclaris was arranged in two layers covered by serosa. The proventricular glands' openings were noticed by SEM as raised tubes with regular circular outlines surrounded by anastomosed microscopic folds. The obtained histomorphological structure of the hooded crow's proventriculus revealed some shared morphological features with most species of birds and some variations that might be attributed to their diet and feeding behaviour.}, }
@article {pmid35182937, year = {2022}, author = {Yadav, P and Chang, SX and Cheng, CW and DesRosiers, CM and Mitra, RK and Das, IJ}, title = {Dosimetric evaluation of high-Z inhomogeneity used for hip prosthesis: A multi-institutional collaborative study.}, journal = {Physica medica : PM : an international journal devoted to the applications of physics to medicine and biology : official journal of the Italian Association of Biomedical Physics (AIFB)}, volume = {95}, number = {}, pages = {148-155}, doi = {10.1016/j.ejmp.2022.02.007}, pmid = {35182937}, issn = {1724-191X}, mesh = {Algorithms ; *Hip Prosthesis ; Humans ; Phantoms, Imaging ; Radiometry ; Radiotherapy Dosage ; Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted ; *Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated ; }, abstract = {PURPOSE: A multi-institutional investigation for dosimetric evaluation of high-Z hip prosthetic device in photon beam.<br><br>METHODS: A bilateral hip prosthetic case was chosen. An in-house phantom was built to replicate the human pelvis with two different prostheses. Dosimetric parameters: dose to the target and organs at risk (OARs) were compared for the clinical case generated by various treatment planning system (TPS) with varied algorithms. Single beam plans with different TPS for phantom using 6 MV and 15 MV photon beams with and without density correction were compared with measurement.<br><br>RESULTS: Wide variations in target and OAR dosimetry were recorded for different TPS. For clinical case ideal PTV coverage was noted for plans generated with Corvus and Prowess TPS only. However, none of the TPS were able to meet plan objective for the bladder. Good correlation was noticed for the measured and the Pinnacle TPS for corrected dose calculation at the interfaces as well as the dose ratio in elsewhere. On comparing measured and calculated dose, the difference across the TPS varied from -20% to 60% for 6 MV and 3% to 50% for the 15 MV, respectively.<br><br>CONCLUSION: Most TPS do not provide accurate dosimetry with high-Z prosthesis. It is important to check the TPS under extreme conditions of beams passing through the high-Z region. Metal artifact reduction algorithms may reduce the difference between the measured and calculated dose but still significant differences exist. Further studies are required to validate the calculational accuracy.}, }
@article {pmid35179665, year = {2022}, author = {Bisazza, A and Santacà, M}, title = {Zebrafish excel in number discrimination under an operant conditioning paradigm.}, journal = {Animal cognition}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, pmid = {35179665}, issn = {1435-9456}, support = {DOR grant//Università degli Studi di Padova/ ; }, abstract = {Numerical discrimination is widespread in vertebrates, but this capacity varies enormously between the different species examined. The guppy (Poecilia reticulata), the only teleost examined following procedures that allow a comparison with the other vertebrates, outperforms amphibians, reptiles and many warm-blooded vertebrates, but it is unclear whether this is a feature shared with the other teleosts or represents a peculiarity of this species. We trained zebrafish (Danio rerio) to discriminate between numbers differing by one unit, varying task difficulty from 2 versus 3 to 5 versus 6 items. Non-numerical variables that covary with number, such as density or area, did not affect performance. Most fish reached learning criterion on all tasks up to 4 versus 5 discrimination with no sex difference in accuracy. Although no individual reached learning criterion in the 5 versus 6 task, performance was significant at the group level, suggesting that this may represent the discrimination threshold for zebrafish. Numerosity discrimination abilities of zebrafish compare to those of guppy, being higher than in some warm-blooded vertebrates, such as dogs, horses and domestic fowl, though lower than in parrots, corvids and primates. Learning rate was similar in a control group trained to discriminate between different-sized shapes, but zebrafish were slightly more accurate when discriminating areas than numbers and males were more accurate than females. At the end of the experiment, fish trained on numbers and controls trained on areas generalized to the reciprocal set of stimuli, indicating they had used a relational strategy to solve these tasks.}, }
@article {pmid35169186, year = {2022}, author = {McCune, KB and Valente, JJ and Jablonski, PG and Lee, SI and Ha, RR}, title = {Social behavior mediates the use of social and personal information in wild jays.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {12}, number = {1}, pages = {2494}, pmid = {35169186}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Animals ; Animals, Wild/*psychology ; Association Learning/physiology ; Cognition/*physiology ; Cues ; Ecosystem ; Female ; Male ; Memory/physiology ; Passeriformes/*physiology ; Social Environment ; *Social Evolution ; Social Learning/*physiology ; }, abstract = {The factors favoring the evolution of certain cognitive abilities in animals remain unclear. Social learning is a cognitive ability that reduces the cost of acquiring personal information and forms the foundation for cultural behavior. Theory predicts the evolutionary pressures to evolve social learning should be greater in more social species. However, research testing this theory has primarily occurred in captivity, where artificial environments can affect performance and yield conflicting results. We compared the use of social and personal information, and the social learning mechanisms used by wild, asocial California scrub-jays and social Mexican jays. We trained demonstrators to solve one door on a multi-door task, then measured the behavior of naïve conspecifics towards the task. If social learning occurs, observations of demonstrators will change the rate that naïve individuals interact with each door. We found both species socially learned, though personal information had a much greater effect on behavior in the asocial species while social information was more important for the social species. Additionally, both species used social information to avoid, rather than copy, conspecifics. Our findings demonstrate that while complex social group structures may be unnecessary for the evolution of social learning, it does affect the use of social versus personal information.}, }
@article {pmid35158664, year = {2022}, author = {Athanasakopoulou, Z and Sofia, M and Giannakopoulos, A and Papageorgiou, K and Chatzopoulos, DC and Spyrou, V and Petridou, E and Petinaki, E and Billinis, C}, title = {ESBL-Producing Moellerella wisconsensis-The Contribution of Wild Birds in the Dissemination of a Zoonotic Pathogen.}, journal = {Animals : an open access journal from MDPI}, volume = {12}, number = {3}, pages = {}, pmid = {35158664}, issn = {2076-2615}, support = {T2DGE-0944//the European Union and the Greek General Secretariat for Research and Innovation, Ministry of Development &amp; Investments/ ; }, abstract = {Moellerella wisconsensis is an Enterobacteriaceae with unclarified dispersion and pathogenicity. During an ongoing investigation about antimicrobial resistance in Greece, the occurrence of M. wisconsensis was evaluated among wild birds and humans. A total of 445 wild bird and 2000 human fecal samples were collected and screened for the presence of the organism. Subsequently, all M. wisconsensis strains were phenotypically and molecularly characterized regarding their antimicrobial resistance characteristics. Four M. wisconsensis were isolated from a common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), two Eurasian magpies (Pica pica) and a great white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons). Among these four strains, the three latter presented resistance to 3rd generation cephalosporins, were phenotypically confirmed to produce ESBLs and were found to harbor blaCTX-M-1. The three ESBL isolates additionally exhibited resistance to tetracyclines, while resistance to aminoglycosides was detected in two of them and to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole in one. No Moellerella wisconsensis strains were retrieved from the human samples tested. This is the first report that provides evidence of M. wisconsensis dissemination among wild birds in Greece, describing CTX-M-1 production in multidrug resistant wild birds' isolates of this bacterial species.}, }
@article {pmid35155058, year = {2022}, author = {Alsaeedi, MAK and Kurnaz, S}, title = {Feature selection for diagnose coronavirus (COVID-19) disease by neural network and Caledonian crow learning algorithm.}, journal = {Applied nanoscience}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {1-16}, pmid = {35155058}, issn = {2190-5509}, abstract = {In this study, feature selection methods based on the new Caledonian crow learning algorithm has been introduced. In the proposed algorithms, in the first stage, the best features related to COVID-19 disease are selected by the crow learning algorithm. Coronavirus (COVIDE-19) disease using as training input to the artificial neural network. Experiments on the COVID-19 disease dataset in a Brazilian hospital show that the crow learning algorithm reduces the feature selection objective function by iteration. Decreasing the feature selection function is due to reducing the error of classifying infected people as healthy and reducing the number of features. The experimental results show that the accuracy, sensitivity, precision, and F1 of the proposed method for COVID-19 patients diagnosing are 94.31%, 94.15%, 94.38%, and 94.27%, respectively. The proposed method for identifying COVID-19 patients is more accurate than ANN, CNN, CNNLSTM, CNNRNN, LSTM, and RNN methods.}, }
@article {pmid35153252, year = {2022}, author = {Seguchi, A and Mogi, K and Izawa, EI}, title = {Measurement of urinary mesotocin in large-billed crows by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.}, journal = {The Journal of veterinary medical science}, volume = {84}, number = {4}, pages = {520-524}, doi = {10.1292/jvms.21-0635}, pmid = {35153252}, issn = {1347-7439}, mesh = {Animals ; Birds ; *Crows ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay/veterinary ; *Oxytocin/analogs &amp; derivatives ; }, abstract = {Mesotocin (MT) is an avian homologue of oxytocin (OT). Behavioral pharmacological studies in birds have suggested the involvement of MT in socially affiliative behavior. However, investigations of peripheral MT levels associated with social behavior are lacking because non-invasive methods to measure surrogate plasma MT have yet to be established. This study aimed to measure urinary MT in crows using a commercially available OT enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Urine samples were collected after intravenous injection of MT and centrifuged to separate urine and fecal components. We found that urinary MT was significantly elevated 15-30 min after MT injection. These results validate our method for the use of urine samples for the measurement of peripheral MT levels in crows.}, }
@article {pmid35149543, year = {2022}, author = {Warmuth, VM and Weissensteiner, MH and Wolf, JBW}, title = {Accumulation and ineffective silencing of transposable elements on an avian W Chromosome.}, journal = {Genome research}, volume = {32}, number = {4}, pages = {671-681}, pmid = {35149543}, issn = {1549-5469}, mesh = {Animals ; Birds ; *DNA Transposable Elements ; Drosophila ; Epigenesis, Genetic ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Female ; Male ; Sex Chromosomes/genetics ; }, abstract = {One of the defining features of transposable elements (TEs) is their ability to move to new locations in the host genome. To minimize the potentially deleterious effects of de novo TE insertions, hosts have evolved several mechanisms to control TE activity, including recombination-mediated removal and epigenetic silencing; however, increasing evidence suggests that silencing of TEs is often incomplete. The crow family experienced a recent radiation of LTR retrotransposons (LTRs), offering an opportunity to gain insight into the regulatory control of young, potentially still active TEs. We quantified the abundance of TE-derived transcripts across several tissues in 15 Eurasian crows (Corvus (corone) spp.) raised under common garden conditions and find evidence for ineffective TE suppression on the female-specific W Chromosome. Using RNA-seq data, we show that ∼9.5% of all transcribed TEs had considerably greater (average, 16-fold) transcript abundance in female crows and that >85% of these female-biased TEs originated on the W Chromosome. After accounting for differences in TE density among chromosomal classes, W-linked TEs were significantly more highly expressed than TEs residing on other chromosomes, consistent with ineffective silencing on the former. Together, our results suggest that the crow W Chromosome acts as a source of transcriptionally active TEs, with possible negative fitness consequences for female birds analogous to Drosophila (an X/Y system), in which overexpression of Y-linked TEs is associated with male-specific aging and fitness loss ("toxic Y").}, }
@article {pmid35139199, year = {2022}, author = {Walsemann, KM and Ureña, S and Farina, MP and Ailshire, JA}, title = {Race inequity in school attendance across the Jim Crow South and its implications for Black-White disparities in trajectories of cognitive function among older adults.}, journal = {The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbac026}, pmid = {35139199}, issn = {1758-5368}, support = {R01 AG067536/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: Although education is a key determinant of cognitive function, its role in determining Black-White disparities in cognitive function is unclear. This may be due, in part, to data limitations that have made it difficult to account for systemic educational inequities in the Jim Crow South experienced by older cohorts, including differences in the number of days Black students attended school compared to their White counterparts or Black peers in better funded southern states. We determine if accounting for differential rates of school attendance across race, years, and states in the Jim Crow South better illuminates Black-White disparities in trajectories of cognitive function.<br><br>METHODS: We linked historical state-level data on school attendance from the 1919/20 to 1953/54 Biennial Surveys of Education to the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative, longitudinal study of U.S. adults over age 50. We restricted our sample to Black and White older adults who attended school in the Jim Crow South and began primary school in/after 1919/20 and completed primary/secondary school by 1953/1954 (n=4,343). We used linear mixed models to estimate trajectories of total cognitive function, episodic memory, and working memory.<br><br>RESULTS: Self-reported years of schooling explained 28-33% of the Black-White disparity in level of cognitive function, episodic memory, and working memory. Duration of school, a measure that accounted for differential rates of school attendance, explained 41-55% of the Black-White disparity in these outcomes.<br><br>DISCUSSION: Our study highlights the importance of using a more refined measure of schooling for understanding the education--cognitive health relationship.}, }
@article {pmid35136194, year = {2022}, author = {Kitowski, I and Korniłłowicz-Kowalska, T and Bohacz, J and Ciesielska, A}, title = {Dispersal of Aphanoascus keratinophilus by the rook Corvus frugilegus during breeding in East Poland.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {12}, number = {1}, pages = {2142}, pmid = {35136194}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Animals ; Crows/*microbiology ; Mycoses/*transmission ; Onygenales/*genetics ; Poland ; }, abstract = {The process of dispersal of the potentially disease-causing, geophilic and keratinolytic fungal strain Aphanoascus keratinophilus (the perfect, sexual stage of Chrysosporium keratinophilum) by the rook Corvus frugilegus was studied. The source of A. keratinophilus strains was pellets of the rook, thus far not considered a carrier of this particular opportunistic pathogen. Pellets collected from breeding colonies of rooks were analysed in terms of the occurrence of keratinolytic fungi with the application of the native keratin bait method. Among the 83 rook pellets analysed, 24 (29%) were infected by keratinophilic fungi. Pure cultures of the fungi were identified to species based on traditional morphological features. Traditional mycological identification was verified by the PCR-RFLP molecular identification method as well as DNA sequencing. The obtained results showed the presence of 90 Aphanoascus keratinophilus strains, 6 Chrysosporium tropicum strains, and 3 Chrysosporium pannicola strains. The PCR melting profile (PCR-MP) method was used to identify intraspecies variations of the 90 analysed A. keratinophilus strains. The dispersal of genotypes and possible pathways of A. keratinophilus dispersal and infection via rook pellets were analysed.}, }
@article {pmid35132811, year = {2022}, author = {De Mendoza, RS and Gómez, RO}, title = {Ecomorphology of the tarsometatarsus of waterfowl (Anseriformes) based on geometric morphometrics and its application to fossils.}, journal = {Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1002/ar.24891}, pmid = {35132811}, issn = {1932-8494}, abstract = {Anseriformes is a diverse group of birds that comprises screamers, the Magpie Goose, and swans ducks and geese, with a relatively rich fossil record. Waterfowl live in close relation to water bodies, but show a diversity of locomotory habits, being typically categorized as walkers, dabblers, and divers. Owing to its functional significance and high preservation potential, the tarsometatarsus has been considered to be a "key" element upon which to base ecomorphological inferences in fossil waterfowl. For instance, based on features of the tarsometatarsus the Miocene flightless duck Cayaoa bruneti and the Oligocene-Miocene large waterfowl Paranyroca have been inferred as divers. Herein, we use a geometric morphometric approach and comparative methods to assess the phylogenetic and ecomorphological signals in the shape and size of waterfowl tarsometatarsi in relation to their locomotory habits. We also apply phylogenetic flexible discriminant analysis (pFDA) to test the inferred diving habits in the extinct waterfowl Cayaoa and Paranyroca. Extant waterfowl species are largely distributed according to their locomotory habit along the main axis of variation in the shape space, a pattern mirrored by the phylogenetic generalized least squares model, which shows that a third of the shape variation is significantly explained by the habit. The pFDA reclassifies correctly almost all extant species and classified with high posterior probabilities the fossil Cayaoa and Paranyroca as a diver and as a dabbler, respectively. Our quantitative multivariate approach confirms the tarsometatarsus as a useful source of data upon which reliably assesses locomotory habits of fossil waterfowl.}, }
@article {pmid35130984, year = {2022}, author = {Harlow, SD and Burnett-Bowie, SM and Greendale, GA and Avis, NE and Reeves, AN and Richards, TR and Lewis, TT}, title = {Disparities in Reproductive Aging and Midlife Health between Black and White women: The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN).}, journal = {Women's midlife health}, volume = {8}, number = {1}, pages = {3}, pmid = {35130984}, issn = {2054-2690}, support = {U19AG063720/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States ; U01AG012531/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States ; U01AG017719/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States ; U01AG012505//national institute of aging/ ; U01NR004061/NR/NINR NIH HHS/United States ; U01AG012553/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States ; U01AG012495/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States ; U01 NR004061/NR/NINR NIH HHS/United States ; U19 AG063720/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States ; U01 AG012505/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States ; U01AG012539/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States ; U01AG012535/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States ; U01AG012554/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States ; U01AG012546/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States ; }, abstract = {This paper reviews differences in the experience of the menopause transition and midlife health outcomes between Black and White women who participated in the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN), a 25-year, longitudinal, multi-racial/ethnic cohort study. We identify health disparities, i.e., instances in which Black women's outcomes are less favorable than those of White women, and consider whether structural racism may underlie these disparities. Although SWAN did not explicitly assess structural racism, Black women in SWAN grew up during the Jim Crow era in the United States, during which time racism was legally sanctioned. We consider how we might gain insight into structural racism by examining proxy exposures such as socioeconomic characteristics, reports of everyday discrimination, and a range of life stressors, which likely reflect the longstanding, pervasive and persistent inequities that have roots in systemic racism in the US. Thus, this paper reviews the presence, magnitude, and longitudinal patterns of racial disparities observed in SWAN in six areas of women's health - menopause symptoms, sleep, mental health, health related quality of life, cardio-metabolic health, and physical function -and elucidates the contextual factors that are likely influencing these disparities. We review the strengths and weaknesses of SWAN's design and approach to analysis of racial disparities and use this as a springboard to offer recommendations for future cohort studies.}, }
@article {pmid35096356, year = {2021}, author = {Quílez-Robres, A and Moyano, N and Cortés-Pascual, A}, title = {Executive Functions and SelfEsteem in Academic Performance: A Mediational Analysis.}, journal = {International journal of psychological research}, volume = {14}, number = {2}, pages = {52-60}, pmid = {35096356}, issn = {2011-7922}, abstract = {OBJECTIVE: Once the paradigm of intelligence as the only predictor of academic performance has been overcome, the influence of other variables, such as reasoning, verbal fluency, executive functions, motivation and self-esteem, was studied.<br><br>METHOD: For this purpose, an exploratory and incidental research design was used in a sample of 132 subjects aged 6-9 years. Different instruments were administered: RAVEN, Effective Reading, Brief II, MAPE II, and Coopersmith Scale, respectively.<br><br>RESULTS: The results indicate that the predictive model formed by reasoning, verbal fluency, executive functions, and self-esteem explains 55.4% of the academic results. As mediating variables, self-esteem emerges as a predictor of both cognitive and motivational variables, and executive functions, as a predictor of emotional and motivational variables.<br><br>DISCUSSION: This implies theoretical and practical implications of an educational nature with practical implications in primary school classrooms, in order to implement plans to develop self-esteem and executive functions.}, }
@article {pmid35095799, year = {2021}, author = {Nagy, BJ and Balázs, B and Benmazouz, I and Gyüre, P and Kövér, L and Kaszab, E and Bali, K and Lovas-Kiss, Á and Damjanova, I and Majoros, L and Tóth, Á and Bányai, K and Kardos, G}, title = {Comparison of Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase-Producing Escherichia coli Isolates From Rooks (Corvus frugilegus) and Contemporary Human-Derived Strains: A One Health Perspective.}, journal = {Frontiers in microbiology}, volume = {12}, number = {}, pages = {785411}, pmid = {35095799}, issn = {1664-302X}, abstract = {During winter, a large number of rooks gather and defecate at the park of a university clinic. We investigated the prevalence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli in these birds and compared recovered isolates with contemporary human isolates. In 2016, fecal samples were collected from 112 trap-captured rooks and investigated for presence of ESBL producers using eosin methylene blue agar supplemented by 2 mg/L cefotaxime; 2,455 contemporary human fecal samples of patients of the clinics sent for routine culturing were tested similarly. In addition, 42 ESBL-producing E. coli isolates collected during the same period from inpatients were also studied. ESBL genes were sought for by PCR and were characterized by sequencing; E. coli ST131 clones were identified. Epidemiological relatedness was determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and confirmed using whole genome sequencing in selected cases. Thirty-seven (33%) of sampled rooks and 42 (1.7%) of human stools yielded ESBL-producing E coli. Dominant genes were bla CTX-M-55 and bla CTX-M-27 in corvid, bla CTX-M-15 and bla CTX-M-27 in human isolates. ST162 was common among rooks. Two rook-derived E. coli belonged to ST131 C1-M27, which was also predominant (10/42) among human fecal and (15/42) human clinical isolates. Another potential link between rooks and humans was a single ST744 rook isolate grouped with one human fecal and three clinical isolates. Despite possible contact, genotypes shared between rooks and humans were rare. Thus, rooks are important as long-distance vectors and reservoirs of ESBL-producing E. coli rather than direct sources of infections to humans in our setting.}, }
@article {pmid35093720, year = {2022}, author = {Suzuki, Y and Hiroki, H and Xie, H and Nishiyama, M and Sakamoto, SH and Uemura, R and Nukazawa, K and Ogura, Y and Watanabe, T and Kobayashi, I}, title = {Antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli isolated from dairy cows and their surrounding environment on a livestock farm practicing prudent antimicrobial use.}, journal = {International journal of hygiene and environmental health}, volume = {240}, number = {}, pages = {113930}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijheh.2022.113930}, pmid = {35093720}, issn = {1618-131X}, mesh = {Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology/therapeutic use ; *Anti-Infective Agents ; Cattle ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; *Escherichia coli ; Farms ; Feces/microbiology ; Female ; Livestock ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Rats ; }, abstract = {On a livestock farm where antimicrobial administration and its history had been managed for prudent use of antimicrobials, we surveyed antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli strains isolated from cow feces and the surrounding environment (i.e., rat and crow feces, and water samples from a drainage pit and wastewater processing tank) every month for 1 year. Two strains (1.7%) in cow feces were resistant to tetracycline, whereas all other strains were susceptible to all other antimicrobials. Among 136 strains isolated from cows and wild animals, only one ampicillin-resistant strain was identified. The antibiotic resistance rate in the drainage from the barn was 8.3% (10/120), and all strains showed susceptibility for 8 months of the year. Tetracycline resistance was common in all resistant strains isolated from animal feces and water samples; all tetracycline-resistant strains carried tetA. These results strongly support the proper use and management of antibiotics on farms to minimize the outbreak and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.}, }
@article {pmid35091487, year = {2021}, author = {Lewenson, SB}, title = {The Public Health Nurses of Jim Crow Florida, by Christine Ardalan.}, journal = {Nursing history review : official journal of the American Association for the History of Nursing}, volume = {30}, number = {1}, pages = {154-155}, doi = {10.1891/1062-8061.30.154}, pmid = {35091487}, issn = {1062-8061}, }
@article {pmid35085401, year = {2022}, author = {Suh, YH and Bowman, R and Fitzpatrick, JW}, title = {Staging to join non-kin groups in a classical cooperative breeder, the Florida scrub-jay.}, journal = {The Journal of animal ecology}, volume = {91}, number = {5}, pages = {970-982}, doi = {10.1111/1365-2656.13669}, pmid = {35085401}, issn = {1365-2656}, support = {BSR-8705443//National Science Foundation/ ; BSR-8996276//National Science Foundation/ ; BSR-9021902//National Science Foundation/ ; DEB97-07622//National Science Foundation/ ; //U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Female ; Male ; Reproduction/physiology ; *Songbirds/physiology ; }, abstract = {Why unrelated members form groups in animal societies remains a pertinent topic in evolutionary biology because benefits for group members often are not obvious. We studied subordinates that disperse to join unrelated social groups in the Florida scrub-jay Aphelocoma coerulescens, a cooperative breeding species mainly composed of kin-based groups. We evaluated potential adaptive benefits of dispersing to become an unrelated helper (staging) versus remaining home and dispersing only to pair and breed (direct dispersal) to understand why non-kin-based groups form. Using 35 years of demographic data, we quantified life-history aspects of staging individuals and tested associations between social and ecological factors on the natal and staging territories. We compared fitness outcomes between dispersal strategies by analysing survival, breeding recruitment and direct reproductive output. We tested for sexual asymmetry potentially driven by differences in territory acquisition patterns and female-biased dispersal for this species. Of birds that reached 1 year, 28% staged at a non-natal territory before breeding or disappearing. Staging dispersers departed at younger ages and moved greater distances than direct dispersers. When looking at proximate factors on the natal territory associated with staging, males left groups with many same-sex helpers, while females often left when their father disappeared. For both sexes, staging individuals more likely came from high-quality territories and joined groups with fewer same-sex helpers than in their natal group. While staging and direct dispersers did not differ in survival or likelihood of becoming a breeder, staging males became breeders later and had lower lifetime reproductive success than direct dispersers. In Florida scrub-jays, staging appears to be an alternative strategy for female helpers, but a best-of-a-bad-situation for males. This sexual asymmetry is consistent with males having more options than females to achieve higher reproductive success by breeding near home. Trade-offs in cost-benefits of departing the natal territory and joining unrelated groups as a helper seem to best explain alternative dispersal patterns, with optimal social queues primarily driving the benefits. This research highlights plasticity in dispersal behaviour in response to social and environmental conditions and offers a new perspective in our understanding of non-kin-based social groups.}, }
@article {pmid35078329, year = {2022}, author = {Sorensen, MC and Strickland, D and Freeman, NE and Fuirst, M and Sutton, AO and Norris, DR}, title = {Early-life experience shapes patterns of senescence in a food-caching passerine.}, journal = {Biology letters}, volume = {18}, number = {1}, pages = {20210532}, pmid = {35078329}, issn = {1744-957X}, mesh = {Aging ; Animals ; Food ; Male ; *Reproduction ; *Songbirds ; }, abstract = {For many species, breeding performance increases through early adulthood followed by declines later in life. Although patterns of age-specific decline have been shown to vary between individuals, the factors that lead to this individual variation in the intensity of reproductive senescence are yet to be fully understood. We investigated whether early-life social status influenced age-related trends in the breeding performance of male Canada jays (Perisoreus canadensis), year-round residents of North America's boreal and sub-alpine forests. Shortly after young become nutritionally independent, intra-brood dominance struggles lead to one juvenile (Dominant Juvenile) remaining on the natal territory after expelling its subordinate siblings (Ejectees). First, we show via radio tracking that in our declining range-edge population Ejectees either join an unrelated pair (67%), form a breeding pair with another bird (28%) or occupy a territory alone (5%). Second, using 39 years of breeding data, we demonstrate that Ejectee males advanced laying dates and increased the annual number of nestlings until 6 years of age before declining, whereas Dominant Juvenile males advanced laying dates until 11 years and increased annual number of nestlings until 12 years of age before declining. This study documents clear variation in ageing patterns between dominant and expelled young, with implications for the role of early-life experiences and phenotypic quality in determining patterns of ageing.}, }
@article {pmid35067742, year = {2022}, author = {Juozaitytė-Ngugu, E and Butkauskas, D and Švažas, S and Prakas, P}, title = {Investigations on Sarcocystis species in the leg muscles of the bird family Corvidae in Lithuania.}, journal = {Parasitology research}, volume = {121}, number = {2}, pages = {703-711}, pmid = {35067742}, issn = {1432-1955}, mesh = {Animals ; Birds ; DNA, Ribosomal/genetics ; Lithuania ; Muscles ; Phylogeny ; RNA, Ribosomal, 18S/genetics ; *Sarcocystis/genetics ; *Sarcocystosis/epidemiology/veterinary ; }, abstract = {Although three species of Sarcocystis, S. cornixi, S. corvusi and S. kutkienae, have been described in corvids, molecular studies of sarcocysts isolated from these birds are incomplete. Leg muscles of 83 corvids, 35 hooded crows (Corvus cornix), 21 western jackdaws (Coloeus monedula), 11 rooks (Corvus frugilegus), 9 common ravens (Corvus corax), 4 common magpies (Pica pica) and 3 Eurasian jays (Garrulus glandarius), from Lithuania were examined for the presence of Sarcocystis spp. in the present study. In methylene blue-stained squashed samples, sarcocysts were detected in 26 birds (31.0%). Under a light microscope, two morphological types of sarcocysts were distinguished (type A and type B). Sarcocysts of type A had a smooth and thin (about 1 μm) cyst wall, while cysts of type B were characterised by a thicker (1.4-2.5 μm) cyst wall. Based on ITS1 sequence comparison, sarcocysts of type A were identified as S. halieti and Sarcocystis sp. ex Corvus corax, whereas cysts of type B belonged to S. kutkienae and S. cornixi. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that a single bird could host two different Sarcocystis spp. Sarcocystis halieti was detected in corvids for the first time in the common raven and the hooded crow. Also, this study presents the first evidence of S. kutkienae in the hooded crow and the common magpie, and S. cornixi in the western jackdaw. Sarcocystis sp. ex Corvus corax was genetically characterised using almost complete 18S rDNA, partial 28S rDNA and complete ITS1 sequences. Sarcocystis sp. ex Corvus corax clustered together with S. columbae, S. corvusi and S. halieti in phylogenetic trees reconstructed using 28S rDNA and ITS1 sequences.}, }
@article {pmid35048808, year = {2022}, author = {Pistacchi, M and Gioulis, M and Marsala, SZ}, title = {Association between Delirium and Cognitive Impairment: Is there a Link?.}, journal = {Current Alzheimer research}, volume = {19}, number = {1}, pages = {47-55}, doi = {10.2174/1567205019666220120114552}, pmid = {35048808}, issn = {1875-5828}, mesh = {Aged ; *Cognitive Dysfunction/epidemiology ; *Delirium/diagnosis/epidemiology/psychology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Prevalence ; Prospective Studies ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Delirium and dementia are both disorders involving global cognitive impairment that can occur separately or at the same time in the elderly.<br><br>OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the frequency, correlation, and relative risk between delirium and cognitive impairment in a prospective population study starting at the basal line (onset of delirium) over a period of five years. The secondary aim was to determine any possible correlation between the kind of delirium and a specific type of dementia.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied 325 patients diagnosed according to the DSM-IV. The neuropsychological, moods and delirium disorders were evaluated with Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Delirium Rating Scale-Revised-98, MMSE, Rey auditory-verbal learning test, Digit Span, Symbol Digit Modalities Test, Raven Progressive Matrices, ADL, and IADL.<br><br>RESULTS: The prevalence of delirium in our population was 89 cases (27.4%): 78 patients (48 women and 30 men) showed evolution toward dementia (mean age was 67.9 ± 6.1 years for men and 68.4 ± 9.1 for women), and 11 patients (5 men and 6 women) presented only isolated delirium without evolution toward cognitive impairment (mean age of men was 68.1 ± 5.1 years and of women 66.4 ± 7.1). The neuropsychological study of the patients with delirium with dementia evolution revealed statistically significant differences over time with a statistically significant intergroup difference and predisposition toward depression.<br><br>CONCLUSION: The association between delirium and cognitive impairment and the possible role of delirium as an early marker of neurodegenerative diseases need to be investigated in the future.}, }
@article {pmid35041298, year = {2022}, author = {Kasimov, V and Dong, Y and Shao, R and Brunton, A and Anstey, SI and Hall, C and Chalmers, G and Conroy, G and Booth, R and Timms, P and Jelocnik, M}, title = {Emerging and well-characterized chlamydial infections detected in a wide range of wild Australian birds.}, journal = {Transboundary and emerging diseases}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1111/tbed.14457}, pmid = {35041298}, issn = {1865-1682}, support = {DE190100238//Australian Research Council/ ; }, abstract = {Birds can act as successful long-distance vectors and reservoirs for numerous zoonotic bacterial, parasitic and viral pathogens, which can be a concern given the interconnectedness of animal, human and environmental health. Examples of such avian pathogens are members of the genus Chlamydia. Presently, there is a lack of research investigating chlamydial infections in Australian wild and captive birds and the subsequent risks to humans and other animals. In our current study, we investigated the prevalence and genetic diversity of chlamydial organisms infecting wild birds from Queensland and the rate of co-infections with beak and feather disease virus (BFDV). We screened 1114 samples collected from 564 different birds from 16 orders admitted to the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital from May 2019 to February 2021 for Chlamydia and BFDV. Utilizing species-specific quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays, we revealed an overall Chlamydiaceae prevalence of 29.26% (165/564; 95% confidence interval (CI) 25.65-33.14), including 3.19% (18/564; 95% CI 2.03-4.99%) prevalence of the zoonotic Chlamydia psittaci. Chlamydiaceae co-infection with BFDV was detected in 9.75% (55/564; 95% CI 7.57-12.48%) of the birds. Molecular characterization of the chlamydial 16S rRNA and ompA genes identified C. psittaci, in addition to novel and other genetically diverse Chlamydia species: avian Chlamydia abortus, Ca. Chlamydia ibidis and Chlamydia pneumoniae, all detected for the first time in Australia within a novel avian host range (crows, figbirds, herons, kookaburras, lapwings and shearwaters). This study shows that C. psittaci and other emerging Chlamydia species are prevalent in a wider range of avian hosts than previously anticipated, potentially increasing the risk of spill-over to Australian wildlife, livestock and humans. Going forward, we need to further characterize C. psittaci and other emerging Chlamydia species to determine their exact genetic identity, potential reservoirs, and factors influencing infection spill-over.}, }
@article {pmid35031024, year = {2022}, author = {Saxena, A and Trivedi, M and Shroff, ZC and Sharma, M}, title = {Improving hospital-based processes for effective implementation of Government funded health insurance schemes: evidence from early implementation of PM-JAY in India.}, journal = {BMC health services research}, volume = {22}, number = {1}, pages = {73}, pmid = {35031024}, issn = {1472-6963}, support = {001/WHO_/World Health Organization/International ; }, mesh = {Government ; Health Services ; Hospitals ; Humans ; India ; *Insurance, Health ; *Universal Health Insurance ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Government-sponsored health insurance schemes (GSHIS) aim to improve access to and utilization of healthcare services and offer financial protection to the population. India's Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) is one such GSHIS. This paper aims to understand how the processes put in place to manage hospital-based transactions, from the time a beneficiary arrives at the hospital to discharge are being implemented in PM-JAY and how to improve them to strengthen the scheme's operation.<br><br>METHODS: Guidelines were reviewed for the processes associated with hospital-based transactions, namely, beneficiary authentication, treatment package selection, preauthorization, discharge, and claims payments. Across 14 hospitals in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh states, the above-mentioned processes were observed, and using a semi-structured interview guide fifty-three respondents were interviewed. The study was carried out from March 2019 to August 2019.<br><br>RESULTS: Average turn-around time for claim reimbursement is two to six times higher than that proposed in guidelines and tender. As opposed to the guidelines, beneficiaries are incurring out-of-pocket expenditure while availing healthcare services. The training provided to the front-line workers is software-centric. Hospital-based processes are relatively more efficient in hospitals where frontline workers have a medical/paramedical/managerial background.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: There is a need to broaden capacity-building efforts from enabling frontline staff to operate the scheme's IT platform to developing the technical, managerial, and leadership skills required for them. At the hospital level, an empowered frontline worker is the key to efficient hospital-based processes. There is a need to streamline back-end processes to eliminate the causes for delay in the processing of claim payment requests. For policymakers, the most important and urgent need is to reduce out-of-pocket expenses. To that end, there is a need to both revisit and streamline the existing guidelines and ensure adherence to the guidelines.}, }
@article {pmid35012054, year = {2021}, author = {Chi, M and Gargouri, R and Schrader, T and Damak, K and Maâlej, R and Sierka, M}, title = {Atomistic Descriptors for Machine Learning Models of Solubility Parameters for Small Molecules and Polymers.}, journal = {Polymers}, volume = {14}, number = {1}, pages = {}, pmid = {35012054}, issn = {2073-4360}, support = {Project number 316213987 - SFB 1278 "PolyTarget" (project A01)//Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft/ ; }, abstract = {Descriptors derived from atomic structure and quantum chemical calculations for small molecules representing polymer repeat elements were evaluated for machine learning models to predict the Hildebrand solubility parameters of the corresponding polymers. Since reliable cohesive energy density data and solubility parameters for polymers are difficult to obtain, the experimental heat of vaporization ΔHvap of a set of small molecules was used as a proxy property to evaluate the descriptors. Using the atomistic descriptors, the multilinear regression model showed good accuracy in predicting ΔHvap of the small-molecule set, with a mean absolute error of 2.63 kJ/mol for training and 3.61 kJ/mol for cross-validation. Kernel ridge regression showed similar performance for the small-molecule training set but slightly worse accuracy for the prediction of ΔHvap of molecules representing repeating polymer elements. The Hildebrand solubility parameters of the polymers derived from the atomistic descriptors of the repeating polymer elements showed good correlation with values from the CROW polymer database.}, }
@article {pmid35009658, year = {2021}, author = {Zi, J and Lv, D and Liu, J and Huang, X and Yao, W and Gao, M and Xi, R and Zhang, Y}, title = {Improved Swarm Intelligent Blind Source Separation Based on Signal Cross-Correlation.}, journal = {Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)}, volume = {22}, number = {1}, pages = {}, pmid = {35009658}, issn = {1424-8220}, support = {No. 333 31860332//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; No.2015FIA02//Kunming Forestry Information Engineering Technology Research Center/ ; No.202002AD080002//Major Special Projects in Yunnan Province/ ; No. 202002AA10007//Major scientific and technological projects in Yunnan Province/ ; No.61462078//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; }, mesh = {*Algorithms ; Animals ; *Butterflies ; Intelligence ; }, abstract = {In recent years, separating effective target signals from mixed signals has become a hot and challenging topic in signal research. The SI-BSS (Blind source separation (BSS) based on swarm intelligence (SI) algorithm) has become an effective method for the linear mixture BSS. However, the SI-BSS has the problem of incomplete separation, as not all the signal sources can be separated. An improved algorithm for BSS with SI based on signal cross-correlation (SI-XBSS) is proposed in this paper. Our method created a candidate separation pool that contains more separated signals than the traditional SI-BSS does; it identified the final separated signals by the value of the minimum cross-correlation in the pool. Compared with the traditional SI-BSS, the SI-XBSS was applied in six SI algorithms (Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Genetic Algorithm (GA), Differential Evolution (DE), Sine Cosine Algorithm (SCA), Butterfly Optimization Algorithm (BOA), and Crow Search Algorithm (CSA)). The results showed that the SI-XBSS could effectively achieve a higher separation success rate, which was over 35% higher than traditional SI-BSS on average. Moreover, SI-SDR increased by 14.72 on average.}, }
@article {pmid35000442, year = {2022}, author = {Boucherie, PH and Gallego-Abenza, M and Massen, JJM and Bugnyar, T}, title = {Dominance in a socially dynamic setting: hierarchical structure and conflict dynamics in ravens' foraging groups.}, journal = {Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences}, volume = {377}, number = {1845}, pages = {20200446}, pmid = {35000442}, issn = {1471-2970}, mesh = {Aggression ; Animals ; *Crows ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Social Dominance ; }, abstract = {Dominance hierarchies typically emerge in systems where group members regularly encounter and compete for resources. In birds, the 'open' and dynamic structure of foraging groups may prevent the emergence of structured hierarchies, although this assumption have hardly been tested. We report on agonistic data for ravens Corvus corax, collected over two 18-month periods for 183 marked individuals of a wild (fluid) population and 51 birds from six captive (stable) groups. We show that the dominance structure (steep and transitive) in wild foraging groups is strikingly similar to that found in captivity. In the wild, we found that higher ranks are mainly occupied by males, older and more aggressive individuals that also tend to receive fewer aggressions. Exploring the mechanisms sustaining the wild dominance structure, we confirmed that males are more aggressive than females and, with age, tend to receive fewer aggressions than females. Males that are about to leave the foraging groups for some months are less aggressive than newcomers or locals, while newcomers are specifically targeted by aggressions in their first year (as juveniles). Taken together, our results indicate that the socially dynamic conditions ravens face during foraging do not hinder, but provide opportunities for, using (advanced) social cognition. This article is part of the theme issue 'The centennial of the pecking order: current state and future prospects for the study of dominance hierarchies'.}, }
@article {pmid34997767, year = {2022}, author = {Ströckens, F and Neves, K and Kirchem, S and Schwab, C and Herculano-Houzel, S and Güntürkün, O}, title = {High associative neuron numbers could drive cognitive performance in corvid species.}, journal = {The Journal of comparative neurology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1002/cne.25298}, pmid = {34997767}, issn = {1096-9861}, support = {STR 1404/1-1 to F.S.//Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft/ ; 227/16-1 to O.G.//Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft/ ; }, abstract = {Corvids possess cognitive skills, matching those of nonhuman primates. However, how these species with their small brains achieve such feats remains elusive. Recent studies suggest that cognitive capabilities could be based on the total numbers of telencephalic neurons. Here we extend this hypothesis further and posit that especially high neuron counts in associative pallial areas drive flexible, complex cognition. If true, avian species like corvids should specifically accumulate neurons in the avian associative areas meso- and nidopallium. To test the hypothesis, we analyzed the neuronal composition of telencephalic areas in corvids and noncorvids (chicken, pigeons, and ostriches-the species with the largest bird brain). The overall number of pallial neurons in corvids was much higher than in chicken and pigeons and comparable to those of ostriches. However, neuron numbers in the associative mesopallium and nidopallium were twice as high in corvids and, in correlation with these associative areas, the corvid subpallium also contained high neuron numbers. These findings support our hypothesis that large absolute numbers of associative pallial neurons contribute to cognitive flexibility and complexity and are key to explain why crows are smart. Since meso-/nidopallial and subpallial areas scale jointly, it is conceivable that associative pallio-striatal loops play a similar role in executive decision making as described in primates.}, }
@article {pmid34997433, year = {2022}, author = {LaFave, SE and Suen, JJ and Seau, Q and Bergman, A and Fisher, MC and Thorpe, RJ and Szanton, SL}, title = {Racism and Older Black Americans' Health: a Systematic Review.}, journal = {Journal of urban health : bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine}, volume = {99}, number = {1}, pages = {28-54}, pmid = {34997433}, issn = {1468-2869}, support = {F31 NR019211/NR/NINR NIH HHS/United States ; TL1 TR003100/TR/NCATS NIH HHS/United States ; T32 AG066576/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States ; DP1 AG069874/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States ; F31 AG071353/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {African Americans/psychology ; Aged ; Blacks ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; *Racism/psychology ; *Social Segregation ; Systemic Racism ; }, abstract = {We reviewed research that examines racism as an independent variable and one or more health outcomes as dependent variables in Black American adults aged 50 years and older in the USA. Of the 43 studies we reviewed, most measured perceived interpersonal racism, perceived institutional racism, or residential segregation. The only two measures of structural racism were birth and residence in a "Jim Crow state." Fourteen studies found associations between racism and mental health outcomes, five with cardiovascular outcomes, seven with cognition, two with physical function, two with telomere length, and five with general health/other health outcomes. Ten studies found no significant associations in older Black adults. All but six of the studies were cross-sectional. Research to understand the extent of structural and multilevel racism as a social determinant of health and the impact on older adults specifically is needed. Improved measurement tools could help address this gap in science.}, }
@article {pmid34990824, year = {2022}, author = {Martin, RJ and Dick, MF and Sherry, DF}, title = {Canada jays (Perisoreus canadensis) balance protein and energy targets simultaneously in both consumed and cached food.}, journal = {Comparative biochemistry and physiology. Part A, Molecular &amp; integrative physiology}, volume = {266}, number = {}, pages = {111142}, doi = {10.1016/j.cbpa.2021.111142}, pmid = {34990824}, issn = {1531-4332}, mesh = {Animals ; Canada ; *Feeding Behavior/physiology ; Food ; Seasons ; *Songbirds/physiology ; }, abstract = {Food scarce periods pose serious physiological challenges for birds, especially in energetically demanding conditions. For species in the northern hemisphere, a decrease in available resources during winter adds further physiological stress to the energetic demands of life at low temperatures. Some species cache food to provide a reliable energy and nutrient resource during scarcity. Canada Jays are a year-round food-caching resident of the North American boreal forest. Canada Jays also rear their young prior to spring green up, making food caching not only essential for adult winter survival, but also potentially important for meeting the requirements of growing offspring in late winter and early spring. We examined the diet choices of Canada Jays immediately prior to winter, and the macronutrient composition of the foods Canada Jay consumed and cached at this time. We found that Canada Jays cache the same relative amounts of macronutrients as they consume but did not vary macronutrients seasonally. The similarities in the macronutrient proportions cached and consumed suggest a consistent nutrient intake pattern, and that Canada Jays are foraging to simultaneously meet similar minimum energy and minimum protein targets for both the present and future. These simultaneous targets constrain the caching decisions of jays when presented with dietary choices.}, }
@article {pmid34975660, year = {2021}, author = {Khvatov, IA and Smirnova, AA and Samuleeva, MV and Ershov, EV and Buinitskaya, SD and Kharitonov, AN}, title = {Hooded Crows (Corvus cornix) May Be Aware of Their Own Body Size.}, journal = {Frontiers in psychology}, volume = {12}, number = {}, pages = {769397}, pmid = {34975660}, issn = {1664-1078}, abstract = {Body-awareness is one of the manifestations of self-awareness, expressed in the ability of people and animals to represent their own body physical properties. Relatively little work has been devoted to this phenomenon in comparison with the studies of the ability of self-recognition in the mirror, and most studies have been conducted on mammals and human infants. Crows are known to be "clever" birds, so we investigated whether hooded crows (Corvus cornix) may be aware of their own body size. We set up an experimental design in which the crows had to pass through one of three openings to reach the bait. In the first experiment, we studied whether crows prefer a larger hole if all the three are suitable for passage, and what other predictors influence their choice. In the second experiment, we assessed the ability of the crows to select a single passable hole out of three on the first attempt, even though the area of the former was smaller than that of the other two. The results of the first experiment suggest that when choosing among three passable holes, crows prefer those holes that require less effort from them, e.g., they do not need to crouch or make other additional movements. In the second experiment, three of the five crows reliably more often chose a single passable hole on the first try, despite its smaller size. We believe that these results suggest that hooded crows may be aware of their own body size.}, }
@article {pmid34972418, year = {2021}, author = {Halliday, JWD and Bland, SN and Hare, JD and Parker, S and Suttle, LG and Russell, DR and Lebedev, SV}, title = {A time-resolved imaging system for the diagnosis of x-ray self-emission in high energy density physics experiments.}, journal = {The Review of scientific instruments}, volume = {92}, number = {12}, pages = {123507}, doi = {10.1063/5.0073174}, pmid = {34972418}, issn = {1089-7623}, abstract = {A diagnostic capable of recording spatially and temporally resolved x-ray self-emission data was developed to characterize experiments on the MAGPIE pulsed-power generator. The diagnostic used two separate imaging systems: a pinhole imaging system with two-dimensional spatial resolution and a slit imaging system with one-dimensional spatial resolution. The two-dimensional imaging system imaged light onto the image plate. The one-dimensional imaging system imaged light onto the same piece of image plate and a linear array of silicon photodiodes. This design allowed the cross-comparison of different images, allowing a picture of the spatial and temporal distribution of x-ray self-emission to be established. The design was tested in a series of pulsed-power-driven magnetic-reconnection experiments.}, }
@article {pmid34946442, year = {2021}, author = {Shcherbakov, N and Varako, N and Kovyazina, M and Zueva, Y and Baulina, M and Skvortsov, A and Chernikova, D}, title = {Dynamics of Neuropsychological Symptoms during the Training of Executive Functions in Neurological Patients.}, journal = {Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)}, volume = {9}, number = {12}, pages = {}, pmid = {34946442}, issn = {2227-9032}, abstract = {Executive function disorder rehabilitation in neurological patients is associated with many difficulties. We investigated the effectiveness of group training, proposed by B. Wilson et al., which has the model of frontal lobes functioning by D. T. Stuss as the theoretical background. The study participants were 16 patients with executive function disorder caused by TBI, strokes, and infections. The training was shortened from 9 weeks to 3 and adopted to the conditions of the rehabilitation centre where the study was held. The evaluation of training effectiveness was carried out by the methods of neuropsychological diagnostics proposed by A. R. Luria as well as standardized quantitative tests (CWIT test, Raven test, FAB) and questionnaires (EBIQ) aimed at assessing the state of executive functions and general well-being. In result positive trends, but not reaching the level of significance, were revealed in the performance of all evaluating methods, with the exception of "arithmetic problems" and "inhibitory control" as part of the FAB test. Statistically significant result was obtained concerning such tests as "counting", "analysis of story pictures", and index of total uncorrected errors in the CWIT test. Thus, the results of eventual assessment showed positive dynamic of executive functions state.}, }
@article {pmid34930821, year = {2022}, author = {Willi, Y and Kristensen, TN and Sgrò, CM and Weeks, AR and Ørsted, M and Hoffmann, AA}, title = {Conservation genetics as a management tool: The five best-supported paradigms to assist the management of threatened species.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {119}, number = {1}, pages = {}, pmid = {34930821}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Conservation of Natural Resources ; *Endangered Species ; Gene Flow ; Genetic Load ; Genetic Markers ; *Genetic Variation ; *Genetics, Population ; *Population Density ; Population Dynamics ; }, abstract = {About 50 y ago, Crow and Kimura [An Introduction to Population Genetics Theory (1970)] and Ohta and Kimura [Genet. Res. 22, 201-204 (1973)] laid the foundations of conservation genetics by predicting the relationship between population size and genetic marker diversity. This work sparked an enormous research effort investigating the importance of population dynamics, in particular small population size, for population mean performance, population viability, and evolutionary potential. In light of a recent perspective [J. C. Teixeira, C. D. Huber, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 118, 10 (2021)] that challenges some fundamental assumptions in conservation genetics, it is timely to summarize what the field has achieved, what robust patterns have emerged, and worthwhile future research directions. We consider theory and methodological breakthroughs that have helped management, and we outline some fundamental and applied challenges for conservation genetics.}, }
@article {pmid34930523, year = {2021}, author = {Klump, BC and St Clair, JJ and Rutz, C}, title = {New Caledonian crows keep 'valuable' hooked tools safer than basic non-hooked tools.}, journal = {eLife}, volume = {10}, number = {}, pages = {}, pmid = {34930523}, issn = {2050-084X}, support = {BB/G023913/1/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; BB/G023913/2/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; BB/S018484/1/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Crows ; Female ; Male ; *Tool Use Behavior ; }, abstract = {The temporary storage and re-use of tools can significantly enhance foraging efficiency. New Caledonian crows in one of our study populations use two types of stick tools - hooked and non-hooked - which differ in raw material, manufacture costs, and foraging performance. Using a large sample of wild-caught, temporarily captive New Caledonian crows, we investigated experimentally whether individuals prefer one tool type over the other when given a choice and whether they take better care of their preferred tools between successive episodes of use, safely storing them underfoot or in nearby holes. Crows strongly preferred hooked stick tools made from Desmanthus virgatus stems over non-hooked stick tools. Importantly, this preference was also reflected in subsequent tool-handling behaviour, with subjects keeping hooked stick tools safe more often than non-hooked stick tools sourced from leaf litter. These results suggest that crows 'value' hooked stick tools, which are both costlier to procure and more efficient to use, more than non-hooked stick tools. Results from a series of control treatments suggested that crows altered their tool 'safekeeping' behaviour in response to a combination of factors, including tool type and raw material. To our knowledge, our study is the first to use safekeeping behaviour as a proxy for assessing how non-human animals value different tool types, establishing a novel paradigm for productive cross-taxonomic comparisons.}, }
@article {pmid34913110, year = {2022}, author = {Baciadonna, L and Cornero, FM and Clayton, NS and Emery, NJ}, title = {Mirror-mediated string-pulling task in Eurasian jays (Garrulus glandarius).}, journal = {Animal cognition}, volume = {25}, number = {3}, pages = {691-700}, pmid = {34913110}, issn = {1435-9456}, support = {TWCF0317//Templeton World Charity Foundation/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Cognition ; *Parrots ; *Passeriformes ; Problem Solving ; Reward ; *Songbirds ; }, abstract = {Mirror tasks can be used to investigate whether animals can instrumentally use a mirror to solve problems and can understand the correspondence between reflections and the real objects they represent. Two bird species, a corvid (New Caledonian crow) and a parrot (African grey parrot), have demonstrated the ability to use mirrors instrumentally in mirror-mediated spatial locating tasks. However, they have not been challenged with a mirror-guided reaching task, which involves a more complex understanding of the mirror's properties. In the present study, a task approximating the mirror-guided reaching task used in primate studies was adapted for, and given to, a corvid species (Eurasian jay) using a horizontal string-pulling paradigm. Four birds learned to pull the correct string to retrieve a food reward when they could see the food directly, whereas none used the reflected information to accomplish the same objective. Based on these results, it cannot be concluded whether these birds understand the correspondence between the location of the reward and its reflected information, or if the relative lack of visual-perceptual motor feedback given by the setup interfered with their performance. This novel task is posited to be conceptually more difficult compared to mirror-mediated spatial locating tasks, and should be used in avian species that have previously been successful at using the mirror instrumentally. This would establish whether these species can still succeed at it, and thus whether the task does indeed pose additional cognitive demands.}, }
@article {pmid34912558, year = {2021}, author = {Atim, C and Bhushan, I and Blecher, M and Gandham, R and Rajan, V and Davén, J and Adeyi, O}, title = {Health financing reforms for Universal Health Coverage in five emerging economies.}, journal = {Journal of global health}, volume = {11}, number = {}, pages = {16005}, pmid = {34912558}, issn = {2047-2986}, mesh = {Financing, Government ; Health Expenditures ; *Healthcare Financing ; Humans ; Medical Assistance ; *Universal Health Insurance ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Many countries have committed to achieving Universal Health Coverage. This paper summarizes selected health financing themes from five middle-income country case studies with incomplete progress towards UHC.<br><br>METHODS: The paper focuses on key flagship UHC programs in these countries, which exist along other publicly financed health delivery systems, reviewed through the lens of key health financing functions such as revenue raising, pooling and purchasing as well as governance and institutional arrangements.<br><br>RESULTS: There is variable progress across countries. Indonesia's Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional (JKN) reforms have made substantial progress in health services coverage and health financing indicators though challenges remain in its implementation. In contrast, Ghana has seen reduced funding levels for health and achieved less than 50% in the UHC service coverage index. In India, despite Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY) reforms having provided important innovations in purchasing and public-private mix, out of pocket spending remains high and the public health financing level low. Kenya still has a challenge to use public financing to enhance coverage for the informal sector, while South Africa has made little progress in strategic purchasing.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Despite variations across countries, therefore, important challenges include inadequate financing, sub-optimal pooling, and unmet expectations in strategic purchasing. While complex federal systems may complicate the path forward for most of these countries, evidence of strong political commitment in some of these countries bodes well for further progress.}, }
@article {pmid34898162, year = {2021}, author = {Addae, A and Zahr, A and Jiang, L and Desai, S and Kononov, T}, title = {Clinical Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Tolerability of Cosmeceuticals Targeting the Dermal-Epidermal Junction.}, journal = {Journal of drugs in dermatology : JDD}, volume = {20}, number = {12}, pages = {1314-1321}, doi = {10.36849/jdd.6355}, pmid = {34898162}, issn = {1545-9616}, mesh = {Administration, Cutaneous ; Aged ; *Cosmeceuticals ; Face ; Female ; Humans ; Skin ; *Skin Aging ; Treatment Outcome ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVE: The dermal-epidermal junction (DEJ), composed of rare proteins, plays a significant role in facial skin aging. A newly enhanced multi-ingredient anti-aging facial moisturizer (MFM) and eye cream (MEC) were formulated to target DEJ-related aging. The objective of this study is to assess the efficacy and tolerability of a dual-product regimen MFM and MEC as a treatment in improving intrinsically and extrinsically aged facial and periorbital skin.<br><br>METHOD: Forty-two female subjects, 42 to 65 years, Fitzpatrick skin type I&amp;ndash;VI, with mild to moderate droopy eyelids, moderate crow&rsquo;s feet wrinkles, and moderate global photodamage completed this institutional review board (IRB)-approved study. Subjects applied the MFM and MEC twice-daily for 12 weeks. Clinical grading of efficacy and tolerability parameters, VISIA&amp;reg;-CR imaging, image analysis of wrinkles, skin pH, Tewameter, and pinch recoil measurements were performed at baseline, weeks 4, 8, and 12. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging was performed at baseline and week 12.<br><br>RESULTS: Statistically significant improvement was shown in both clinically graded parameters and bio-instrumentational analyses at all time points. Both products were well tolerated by subjects.<br><br>CONCLUSION: This IRB-approved clinical study demonstrated effectiveness in improving intrinsic and extrinsic signs of the global face and periorbital eye area aging after twelve weeks of twice-daily application. J Drugs Dermatol. 2021;20(12):1314-1321. doi:10.36849/JDD.6355.}, }
@article {pmid34898049, year = {2022}, author = {Yamaguchi, E and Fujii, K and Kayano, M and Sakurai, Y and Nakatani, A and Sasaki, M and Hertl, JA and Grohn, YT}, title = {Is Salmonella enterica shared between wildlife and cattle in cattle farming areas? An 11-year retrospective study in Tokachi district, Hokkaido, Japan.}, journal = {Veterinary medicine and science}, volume = {8}, number = {2}, pages = {758-770}, pmid = {34898049}, issn = {2053-1095}, mesh = {Agriculture ; Animals ; Animals, Wild ; Cattle ; Farms ; Japan/epidemiology ; Retrospective Studies ; *Salmonella Infections, Animal/epidemiology ; *Salmonella enterica/genetics ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Salmonella enterica in cattle has long been problematic and suspected to be transmitted by wildlife in Tokachi, Hokkaido, a major cattle farming area in Japan. Understanding the role of wildlife in S. enterica transmission would be helpful for developing control strategies of bovine salmonellosis.<br><br>OBJECTIVES: We aimed to elucidate the possibility of S. enterica transmission between sympatric wildlife, including raccoons and crows and cattle, in Tokachi from 2008 to 2018 by analysing S. enterica detection records, and the genetic relatedness of serotypes shared between wildlife and cattle.<br><br>METHODS: S. enterica detection records were based on the results of a field survey and existing cattle records at relevant organisations, including clinical reports, a monitoring survey and quarantine for introduced calves at growing farms and public calving farms. S. enterica was identified by polymerase chain reaction assay and serotyped by agglutination assay. The detection records were organised chronologically to investigate whether common serotypes in wildlife and cattle were detected in the same year. The isolates corresponding to detection records were assessed for their genetic patterns by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.<br><br>RESULTS: The prevalence of S. enterica in raccoons and crows was 10.7% (17/159) and 5.7% (55/967), respectively. The following serotypes were detected from both wildlife and cattle: Braenderup, Dublin, Infantis, Mbandaka, Montevideo, 4,[5],12:i:- and Typhimurium. Genetically similar isolates for S. Braenderup, S. Dublin, S. Montevideo and S. 4,[5],12:i:- were detected from both species in the same year.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our long-term retrospective observations supported that S. enterica was shared between wildlife and cattle. Wildlife invasions should be controlled at farms to prevent inter-species transmission of S. enterica from livestock farms.}, }
@article {pmid34878289, year = {2021}, author = {Baune, C and Wolfe, LL and Schott, KC and Griffin, KA and Hughson, AG and Miller, MW and Race, B}, title = {Reduction of Chronic Wasting Disease Prion Seeding Activity following Digestion by Mountain Lions.}, journal = {mSphere}, volume = {6}, number = {6}, pages = {e0081221}, doi = {10.1128/msphere.00812-21}, pmid = {34878289}, issn = {2379-5042}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Assay ; Brain/metabolism ; Feces/chemistry ; Prions/*metabolism ; Puma/*metabolism ; Wasting Disease, Chronic/*metabolism ; }, abstract = {Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a transmissible prion disease first observed in the 1960s in North America. This invariably fatal disease affects multiple cervid species in the wild and in captivity. In addition to the several known transmission pathways involving cervid host species, prions have been detected in the feces of crows and coyotes after consumption of experimentally spiked tissues. This raises questions about the role of cervid consumers in the perpetuation of CWD. Mountain lions have been shown to preferentially select CWD-infected prey and are also apparently resistant to infection. In this study, two captive mountain lions were fed ground mule deer muscle tissue spiked with brain-derived CWD prions, and lion feces were collected for 1 week afterward. The input brain and resulting fecal materials were analyzed using the highly sensitive real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay to quantify prion seeding activity. We recovered only 2.8 to 3.9% of input CWD prions after passage through the mountain lions' gastrointestinal tracts. Interestingly, CWD prions were shed only in the first defecation following consumption. Our data support the possibility that mountain lions feeding upon infected carcasses could excrete CWD prions in their feces over a short period of time but also suggest that most of the ingested prions are eliminated or sequestered by this large predator. IMPORTANCE CWD prions appear to spread naturally among susceptible cervid species in captivity and in the wild. A better understanding of all the ways these prions move, persist, and subsequently infect target species through the environment is critical to developing comprehensive disease control strategies. In our study, we show limited, transient pass-through of CWD prions in an apex predator, the mountain lion, using the highly sensitive RT-QuIC assay on feces collected after lions were fed prion-spiked muscle tissue. Prions were detected in feces only in the first defecation after exposure. Moreover, the amount of CWD prions recovered in feces was reduced by >96% after passing through the lion digestive system. This indicates that mountain lions may have some potential to distribute CWD prions within their home ranges but that they also effectively eliminate most of the CWD prions they consume.}, }
@article {pmid34875182, year = {2021}, author = {Martin, RJ and Martin, GK and Roberts, WA and Sherry, DF}, title = {No evidence for future planning in Canada jays (Perisoreus canadensis).}, journal = {Biology letters}, volume = {17}, number = {12}, pages = {20210504}, pmid = {34875182}, issn = {1744-957X}, mesh = {Animals ; Canada ; Feeding Behavior ; Food ; Humans ; *Passeriformes ; *Songbirds ; }, abstract = {In the past 20 years, research in animal cognition has challenged the belief that complex cognitive processes are uniquely human. At the forefront of these challenges has been research on mental time travel and future planning in jays. We tested whether Canada jays (Perisoreus canadensis) demonstrated future planning, using a procedure that has produced evidence of future planning in California scrub-jays. Future planning in this procedure is caching in locations where the bird will predictably experience a lack of food in the future. Canada jays showed no evidence of future planning in this sense and instead cached in the location where food was usually available, opposite to the behaviour described for California scrub-jays. We provide potential explanations for these differing results adding to the recent debates about the role of complex cognition in corvid caching strategies.}, }
@article {pmid34867472, year = {2021}, author = {Pendergraft, LT and Marzluff, JM and Cross, DJ and Shimizu, T and Templeton, CN}, title = {American Crow Brain Activity in Response to Conspecific Vocalizations Changes When Food Is Present.}, journal = {Frontiers in physiology}, volume = {12}, number = {}, pages = {766345}, pmid = {34867472}, issn = {1664-042X}, abstract = {Social interaction among animals can occur under many contexts, such as during foraging. Our knowledge of the regions within an avian brain associated with social interaction is limited to the regions activated by a single context or sensory modality. We used 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) to examine American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) brain activity in response to conditions associated with communal feeding. Using a paired approach, we exposed crows to either a visual stimulus (the sight of food), an audio stimulus (the sound of conspecifics vocalizing while foraging) or both audio/visual stimuli presented simultaneously and compared to their brain activity in response to a control stimulus (an empty stage). We found two regions, the nucleus taenia of the amygdala (TnA) and a medial portion of the caudal nidopallium, that showed increased activity in response to the multimodal combination of stimuli but not in response to either stimulus when presented unimodally. We also found significantly increased activity in the lateral septum and medially within the nidopallium in response to both the audio-only and the combined audio/visual stimuli. We did not find any differences in activation in response to the visual stimulus by itself. We discuss how these regions may be involved in the processing of multimodal stimuli in the context of social interaction.}, }
@article {pmid34865301, year = {2022}, author = {Pavicic, T and Pooth, R and Prinz, V and Cajkovsky, M and Green, JB and Hernandez, CA and Mueller, DS and Sattler, S and Klepetko, H and Day, D and Kerscher, M and Suwanchinda, A and Cotofana, S and Frank, K and Fabi, SG}, title = {Validated 5-point photonumeric scales for the assessment of the periorbital region.}, journal = {Journal of cosmetic dermatology}, volume = {21}, number = {1}, pages = {158-166}, doi = {10.1111/jocd.14643}, pmid = {34865301}, issn = {1473-2165}, support = {//Croma Pharma GmbH/ ; }, mesh = {Face ; Humans ; Reproducibility of Results ; *Skin Aging ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVE: The objective of this investigation was to create and validate 5-point photonumeric scales for the assessment of dynamic crow's feet, static crow's feet, and infraorbital hollows.<br><br>MATERIAL AND METHODS: Three novel 5-point photonumeric scales were created by a medical team. A total of 12 raters from all over the world performed a digital validation, and a total of 5 raters a live validation of the created scale.<br><br>RESULTS: The statistical analysis revealed almost perfect intra-rater and inter-rater reliability in the digital validation of the scales for the assessment of static and dynamic crow's feet as well as infraorbital hollows. In the live validation, both crow's feet scales showed almost perfect intra-rater reliability, while the Croma Infraorbital Hollow Assessment Scale showed substantial intra-rater reliability. Inter-rater reliability was substantial for all three scales in the live validation. All three scales, the Croma Dynamic Crow's Feet Assessment Scale, Croma Static Crow's Feet Assessment Scale, and Croma Infraorbital Hollow Assessment Scale, were validated digitally and in a live setting.<br><br>CONCLUSION: The created scales to assess infraorbital hollowing, dynamic and static crow's feet have been shown to provide substantial to almost perfect agreement in the digital and live validation and can thus be considered as helpful tools in the clinical and research setting. While technical methods and appliances to assess the degrees of severity of age-dependent features are advancing, validated scales are of great importance due to their ease of use and, as shown by the validations, reliability, and reproducibility.}, }
@article {pmid34859781, year = {2021}, author = {Hahn, LA and Balakhonov, D and Fongaro, E and Nieder, A and Rose, J}, title = {Working memory capacity of crows and monkeys arises from similar neuronal computations.}, journal = {eLife}, volume = {10}, number = {}, pages = {}, pmid = {34859781}, issn = {2050-084X}, mesh = {Animals ; Crows/*physiology ; Macaca mulatta/*physiology ; Memory, Short-Term/*physiology ; Neurons/*physiology ; Prefrontal Cortex/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Complex cognition relies on flexible working memory, which is severely limited in its capacity. The neuronal computations underlying these capacity limits have been extensively studied in humans and in monkeys, resulting in competing theoretical models. We probed the working memory capacity of crows (Corvus corone) in a change detection task, developed for monkeys (Macaca mulatta), while we performed extracellular recordings of the prefrontal-like area nidopallium caudolaterale. We found that neuronal encoding and maintenance of information were affected by item load, in a way that is virtually identical to results obtained from monkey prefrontal cortex. Contemporary neurophysiological models of working memory employ divisive normalization as an important mechanism that may result in the capacity limitation. As these models are usually conceptualized and tested in an exclusively mammalian context, it remains unclear if they fully capture a general concept of working memory or if they are restricted to the mammalian neocortex. Here, we report that carrion crows and macaque monkeys share divisive normalization as a neuronal computation that is in line with mammalian models. This indicates that computational models of working memory developed in the mammalian cortex can also apply to non-cortical associative brain regions of birds.}, }
@article {pmid34847753, year = {2021}, author = {Luo, Y and Zhang, L and Song, R and Zhu, C and Yang, J and Badami, B}, title = {Optimized lung tumor diagnosis system using enhanced version of crow search algorithm, Zernike moments, and support vector machine.}, journal = {Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Part H, Journal of engineering in medicine}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {9544119211055870}, doi = {10.1177/09544119211055870}, pmid = {34847753}, issn = {2041-3033}, abstract = {Early detection of lung tumors is so important to heal this disease in the initial steps. Automatic computer-aided detection of this disease is a good method for reducing human mistakes and improving detection precision. The major concept here is to propose the best CAD system for lung tumor detection. In the presented technique, after pre-processing and segmentation of the lung area, its features including different orders of Zernike moments have been extracted. After features extraction, they have been injected into an optimized version of Support Vector Machine (SVM) for final diagnosis. The optimization of the SVM is based on an enhanced design of the Crow Search Algorithm (ECSA). For validating the proposed method, it was applied to three datasets including Lung CT-Diagnosis, TCIA, and RIDER Lung CT collection, and the results are validated by comparing with three state-of-the-art methods including Walwalker method, Mon method, and Naik method to indicate the system superiority toward the compared methods. The system is also analyzed based on different orders of Zernike moment to select the best order. The final results indicate that the suggested method has a suitable accuracy for diagnosing lung cancer.}, }
@article {pmid34827989, year = {2021}, author = {Juozaitytė-Ngugu, E and Švažas, S and Šneideris, D and Rudaitytė-Lukošienė, E and Butkauskas, D and Prakas, P}, title = {The Role of Birds of the Family Corvidae in Transmitting Sarcocystis Protozoan Parasites.}, journal = {Animals : an open access journal from MDPI}, volume = {11}, number = {11}, pages = {}, pmid = {34827989}, issn = {2076-2615}, support = {S-MIP-20-24//Lietuvos Mokslo Taryba/ ; }, abstract = {Members of the family Corvidae are ecologically flexible omnivorous birds, particularly adaptive to urban habitats, and living in proximity to humans; these birds may serve as definitive hosts (DH) for Sarcocystis spp., but research about this is lacking. In the present study, intestinal samples from 91 corvids collected in Lithuania were molecularly tested by species-specific PCR targeting the ITS1 and cox1 genes and subsequently sequenced for the presence of Sarcocystis spp. Under a light microscope, oocysts of Sarcocystis spp. were observed in 43 samples (47.3%), while molecular methods, detected Sarcocystis spp. in 77 birds (84.6%). Eleven Sarcocystis spp. (S. columbae, S. cornixi, potentially pathogenic S. halieti, S. kutkienae, S. lari, S. turdusi, S. wobeseri, S. arctica, S. lutrae, S. ovalis, and S. oviformis) were identified in the intestinal samples from six corvid species from Lithuania. Infections with multiple Sarcocystis spp. were detected in 79.2% of the infected corvid birds. Three of the identified Sarcocystis spp. use corvids as intermediate hosts (IH); therefore, corvids may serve as IH and DH of the same Sarcocystis species. Based on molecular results and on corvid diet, omnivorous corvids may play an important role in transmitting Sarcocystis spp.}, }
@article {pmid34827957, year = {2021}, author = {Benmazouz, I and Jokimäki, J and Lengyel, S and Juhász, L and Kaisanlahti-Jokimäki, ML and Kardos, G and Paládi, P and Kövér, L}, title = {Corvids in Urban Environments: A Systematic Global Literature Review.}, journal = {Animals : an open access journal from MDPI}, volume = {11}, number = {11}, pages = {}, pmid = {34827957}, issn = {2076-2615}, support = {SH-00355-004/2019//Stipendium Hungaricum program/ ; NKFIH-OTKA K134391//National Research, Development, and Innovation Office of Hungary/ ; }, abstract = {Urbanization is one of the most prevalent drivers of biodiversity loss, yet few taxonomic groups are remarkably successful at adapting to urban environments. We systematically surveyed the global literature on the effects of urbanization on species of family Corvidae (crows, choughs, jackdaws, jays, magpies, nutcrackers, ravens, rooks, treepies) to assess the occurrence of corvids in urban environments and the factors affecting their success. We found a total of 424 primary research articles, and the number of articles has increased exponentially since the 1970s. Most studies were carried out in cities of Europe and North America (45.5% and 31.4%, respectively) and were directed on a single species (75.2). We found that 30 corvid species (23% of 133 total) regularly occur in urban environments. The majority (72%) of the studies reported positive effects of urbanization on corvids, with 85% of studies detecting population increases and 64% of studies detecting higher breeding success with urbanization. Of the factors proposed to explain corvids' success (availability of nesting sites and food sources, low predation and persecution), food availability coupled with diet shifts emerged as the most important factors promoting Corvidae to live in urban settings. The breeding of corvids in urban environments was further associated with earlier nesting, similar or larger clutches, lower hatching but higher fledging success, reduced home range size and limited territoriality, increased tolerance towards humans and increasing frequency of conflicts with humans. Despite geographic and taxonomic biases in our literature sample, our review indicates that corvids show both flexibility in resource use and behavioral plasticity that enable them to exploit novel resources for nesting and feeding. Corvids can thus be urban exploiters of the large-scale modifications of ecosystems caused by urbanization.}, }
@article {pmid34827796, year = {2021}, author = {Schneider, S and Goettlich, S and Diercks, C and Dierkes, PW}, title = {Discrimination of Acoustic Stimuli and Maintenance of Graded Alarm Call Structure in Captive Meerkats.}, journal = {Animals : an open access journal from MDPI}, volume = {11}, number = {11}, pages = {}, pmid = {34827796}, issn = {2076-2615}, abstract = {Animals living in human care for several generations face the risk of losing natural behaviors, which can lead to reduced animal welfare. The goal of this study is to demonstrate that meerkats (Suricata suricatta) living in zoos can assess potential danger and respond naturally based on acoustic signals only. This includes that the graded information of urgency in alarm calls as well as a response to those alarm calls is retained in captivity. To test the response to acoustic signals with different threat potential, meerkats were played calls of various animals differing in size and threat (e.g., robin, raven, buzzard, jackal) while their behavior was observed. The emitted alarm calls were recorded and examined for their graded structure on the one hand and played back to them on the other hand by means of a playback experiment to see whether the animals react to their own alarm calls even in the absence of danger. A fuzzy clustering algorithm was used to analyze and classify the alarm calls. Subsequently, the features that best described the graded structure were isolated using the LASSO algorithm and compared to features already known from wild meerkats. The results show that the graded structure is maintained in captivity and can be described by features such as noise and duration. The animals respond to new threats and can distinguish animal calls that are dangerous to them from those that are not, indicating the preservation of natural cooperative behavior. In addition, the playback experiments show that the meerkats respond to their own alarm calls with vigilance and escape behavior. The findings can be used to draw conclusions about the intensity of alertness in captive meerkats and to adapt husbandry conditions to appropriate welfare.}, }
@article {pmid34813525, year = {2022}, author = {Leopold, SS}, title = {A Conversation with … Jay Nordlinger, the Writer Who Sees Both Sides.}, journal = {Clinical orthopaedics and related research}, volume = {480}, number = {2}, pages = {217-219}, doi = {10.1097/CORR.0000000000002048}, pmid = {34813525}, issn = {1528-1132}, mesh = {*Communication ; *Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; *Journalism ; Male ; *Periodicals as Topic ; *Physician-Patient Relations ; }, }
@article {pmid34793696, year = {2022}, author = {Miller, R and Lambert, ML and Frohnwieser, A and Brecht, KF and Bugnyar, T and Crampton, I and Garcia-Pelegrin, E and Gould, K and Greggor, AL and Izawa, EI and Kelly, DM and Li, Z and Luo, Y and Luong, LB and Massen, JJM and Nieder, A and Reber, SA and Schiestl, M and Seguchi, A and Sepehri, P and Stevens, JR and Taylor, AH and Wang, L and Wolff, LM and Zhang, Y and Clayton, NS}, title = {Socio-ecological correlates of neophobia in corvids.}, journal = {Current biology : CB}, volume = {32}, number = {1}, pages = {74-85.e4}, doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2021.10.045}, pmid = {34793696}, issn = {1879-0445}, mesh = {Animals ; Fear ; Humans ; *Passeriformes/physiology ; Social Behavior ; }, abstract = {Behavioral responses to novelty, including fear and subsequent avoidance of novel stimuli, i.e., neophobia, determine how animals interact with their environment. Neophobia aids in navigating risk and impacts on adaptability and survival. There is variation within and between individuals and species; however, lack of large-scale, comparative studies critically limits investigation of the socio-ecological drivers of neophobia. In this study, we tested responses to novel objects and food (alongside familiar food) versus a baseline (familiar food alone) in 10 corvid species (241 subjects) across 10 labs worldwide. There were species differences in the latency to touch familiar food in the novel object and novel food conditions relative to the baseline. Four of seven socio-ecological factors influenced object neophobia: (1) use of urban habitat (versus not), (2) territorial pair versus family group sociality, (3) large versus small maximum flock size, and (4) moderate versus specialized caching (whereas range, hunting live animals, and genus did not), while only maximum flock size influenced food neophobia. We found that, overall, individuals were temporally and contextually repeatable (i.e., consistent) in their novelty responses in all conditions, indicating neophobia is a stable behavioral trait. With this study, we have established a network of corvid researchers, demonstrating potential for further collaboration to explore the evolution of cognition in corvids and other bird species. These novel findings enable us, for the first time in corvids, to identify the socio-ecological correlates of neophobia and grant insight into specific elements that drive higher neophobic responses in this avian family group. VIDEO ABSTRACT.}, }
@article {pmid34768843, year = {2021}, author = {Ling, J and Huang, X and Jia, Y and Li, W and Zhang, X}, title = {The Overexpression of NUC Promotes Development and Increases Resistance to Nitrogen Deficiency in Arabidopsis thaliana.}, journal = {International journal of molecular sciences}, volume = {22}, number = {21}, pages = {}, pmid = {34768843}, issn = {1422-0067}, support = {2017FB057//Yunnan Applied Basic Research Project/ ; 2017AB001//Yunnan Applied Basic Research Project/ ; }, mesh = {Arabidopsis/genetics/metabolism ; Arabidopsis Proteins/genetics/*metabolism ; Carrier Proteins/genetics/metabolism ; Chlorophyll/metabolism ; Gene Expression/genetics ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant/genetics ; Nitrogen/*deficiency/metabolism ; Plant Leaves/metabolism ; Plant Roots/metabolism ; Plants, Genetically Modified/genetics ; Seedlings/metabolism ; Stress, Physiological/genetics ; Transcription Factors/genetics/*metabolism ; }, abstract = {NUTCRACKER (NUC) is a transcription factor expressed in multiple tissues, but little is known about its physiological roles. In this study, we explored the physiological function of NUC with the Arabidopsis knockout, rescue, and overexpression lines. We found that NUC overexpression promoted development at the germination, seedling, and juvenile stages. NUC overexpression increased resistance to nitrogen (N) deficiency stress by increasing the chlorophyll content, suppressing anthocyanin accumulation, and increasing the biomass under N deficiency. In contrast, the absence of NUC did not affect such characteristics. N deficiency significantly increased the expression of NUC in leaves but did not affect the expression of NUC in roots. The overexpression of NUC promoted primary root length under both normal and N deficiency conditions. Furthermore, we found that the N-responsive and lateral-root-related genes TGA1 and NRT2.4 had NUC-binding sites in their promoter regions and that their expression was upregulated by NUC under N deficiency. The overexpression of the NUC increased the number and length of the lateral roots under N deficiency through inducible promotion. Multiple lines of investigation suggest that the regulatory function of the NUC could be bypassed through its redundant MAGPIE (MGP) when the NUC is absent. Our findings provide novel insight into NUC's functions and will assist efforts to improve plants' development and resistance to nutrient stresses.}, }
@article {pmid34764369, year = {2021}, author = {See, K and Kadonosono, T and Miyamoto, K and Tsubaki, T and Ota, Y and Katsumi, M and Ryo, S and Aida, K and Minegishi, M and Isozaki, T and Kuchimaru, T and Kizaka-Kondoh, S}, title = {Antibody-guided design and identification of CD25-binding small antibody mimetics using mammalian cell surface display.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {11}, number = {1}, pages = {22098}, pmid = {34764369}, issn = {2045-2322}, support = {JP19ak0101098h0002//Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development/ ; }, mesh = {Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal/*immunology ; Antibody Affinity/immunology ; Cell Line ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Surface Display Techniques/*methods ; Flow Cytometry/methods ; HEK293 Cells ; HeLa Cells ; Humans ; Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit/*immunology ; K562 Cells ; Mammals/*immunology ; Peptide Library ; Protein Binding/*immunology ; }, abstract = {Small antibody mimetics that contain high-affinity target-binding peptides can be lower cost alternatives to monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). We have recently developed a method to create small antibody mimetics called FLuctuation-regulated Affinity Proteins (FLAPs), which consist of a small protein scaffold with a structurally immobilized target-binding peptide. In this study, to further develop this method, we established a novel screening system for FLAPs called monoclonal antibody-guided peptide identification and engineering (MAGPIE), in which a mAb guides selection in two manners. First, antibody-guided design allows construction of a peptide library that is relatively small in size, but sufficient to identify high-affinity binders in a single selection round. Second, in antibody-guided screening, the fluorescently labeled mAb is used to select mammalian cells that display FLAP candidates with high affinity for the target using fluorescence-activated cell sorting. We demonstrate the reliability and efficacy of MAGPIE using daclizumab, a mAb against human interleukin-2 receptor alpha chain (CD25). Three FLAPs identified by MAGPIE bound CD25 with dissociation constants of approximately 30 nM as measured by biolayer interferometry without undergoing affinity maturation. MAGPIE can be broadly adapted to any mAb to develop small antibody mimetics.}, }
@article {pmid34755845, year = {2021}, author = {Huang, XF and Reardon, KF}, title = {Quorum-sensing molecules increase ethanol yield from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.}, journal = {FEMS yeast research}, volume = {21}, number = {8}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1093/femsyr/foab056}, pmid = {34755845}, issn = {1567-1364}, support = {//National Renewable Energy Laboratory/ ; DE-AC36-08-GO28308//U.S. Department of Energy/ ; //U.S. Department of Energy/ ; //Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy/ ; //Bioenergy Technologies Office/ ; 1.3.5.270//WBS/ ; }, mesh = {Ethanol ; Fermentation ; Quorum Sensing ; *Saccharomyces cerevisiae/metabolism ; *Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins/metabolism ; }, abstract = {One strategy to increase the yield of desired fermentation products is to redirect substrate carbon from biomass synthesis. Nongenetic approaches to alter metabolism may have advantages of general applicability and simple control. The goal of this study was to identify and evaluate chemicals for their ability to inhibit the growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae while allowing ethanol production with higher yields. Eight potential growth-inhibitory chemicals were screened for their ability to reduce cell growth in 24-well plates. Effective chemicals were then evaluated in cultivations to identify those that simultaneously reduced biomass yield and increased ethanol yield. The yeast quorum-sensing molecules 2-phenylethanol, tryptophol and tyrosol were found to increase the ethanol yield of S. cerevisiae JAY 270. These molecules were tested with seven other yeast strains and ethanol yields of up to 15% higher were observed. The effects of 2-phenylethanol and tryptophol were also studied in bioreactor fermentations. These findings demonstrate for the first time that the ethanol yield can be improved by adding yeast quorum-sensing molecules to reduce the cell growth of S. cerevisiae, suggesting a strategy to improve the yield of ethanol and other yeast fermentation products by manipulating native biological control systems.}, }
@article {pmid34752630, year = {2022}, author = {İremli, BG and Şendur, SN and Ünlütürk, U}, title = {Response to Letter to the Editor From Raven: Three Cases of Subacute Thyroiditis Following SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine.}, journal = {The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism}, volume = {107}, number = {4}, pages = {e1773-e1774}, doi = {10.1210/clinem/dgab823}, pmid = {34752630}, issn = {1945-7197}, mesh = {*COVID-19/prevention &amp; control ; COVID-19 Vaccines/adverse effects ; Humans ; SARS-CoV-2 ; *Thyroiditis, Subacute/diagnosis/etiology ; }, }
@article {pmid34752614, year = {2022}, author = {Raven, LM and McCormack, AI and Greenfield, JR}, title = {Letter to the Editor From Raven et al: "Three Cases of Subacute Thyroiditis Following SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine".}, journal = {The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism}, volume = {107}, number = {4}, pages = {e1767-e1768}, doi = {10.1210/clinem/dgab822}, pmid = {34752614}, issn = {1945-7197}, mesh = {*COVID-19/prevention &amp; control ; COVID-19 Vaccines/adverse effects ; Humans ; SARS-CoV-2 ; *Thyroiditis, Subacute/diagnosis/etiology ; }, }
@article {pmid34752035, year = {2021}, author = {Korolenkova, MV and Rakhmanova, MS}, title = {[Phantom root as dental trauma complication in immature teeth (systematic literature and clinical cases review)].}, journal = {Stomatologiia}, volume = {100}, number = {5}, pages = {53-57}, doi = {10.17116/stomat202110005153}, pmid = {34752035}, issn = {0039-1735}, mesh = {*Dental Pulp Necrosis ; Humans ; *Periapical Periodontitis ; Root Canal Therapy ; }, abstract = {The paper presents literature review and the analysis of three clinical cases of phantom root development. Phantom root is a rare complication occurring as a result of apical papilla detachment, usually after dental trauma. Some authors suggest regenerative endodontic procedure may contribute to phantom root development because of rude intervention in periapical tissues needed to induce apical bleeding required for intracanal blood clot formation. Phantom root is not an indication for endodontic treatment. The prognosis depends on initial root formation stage and root to crow length ratio at the time of trauma. In the majority of cases the teeth may be preserved, but continuous root development is not to be expected.}, }
@article {pmid34748405, year = {2021}, author = {Erdogan Bamac, O and Cizmecigil, UY and Mete, A and Yilmaz, A and Aydin, O and Tali, HE and Tali, BH and Yilmaz, SG and Gurel, A and Turan, N and Ozsoy, S and Vatansever Celik, E and Sadeyen, JR and Roman-Sosa, G and Iqbal, M and Richt, JA and Yilmaz, H}, title = {Emergence of West Nile Virus Lineage-2 in Resident Corvids in Istanbul, Turkey.}, journal = {Vector borne and zoonotic diseases (Larchmont, N.Y.)}, volume = {21}, number = {11}, pages = {892-899}, doi = {10.1089/vbz.2021.0010}, pmid = {34748405}, issn = {1557-7759}, mesh = {Animals ; Phylogeny ; Serbia ; Turkey/epidemiology ; *West Nile Fever/epidemiology/veterinary ; *West Nile virus/genetics ; }, abstract = {West Nile fever is a vector-borne viral disease affecting animals and humans causing significant health and economic problems globally. This study was aimed at investigating circulating West Nile virus (WNV) strains in free-ranging corvids in Istanbul, Turkey. Brain, liver, and kidney were collected from corvids (n = 34) between June 2019 and April 2020 and analyzed for the presence of WNV-specific RNA by quantitative RT-PCR. In addition, histopathologic and immunohistochemical examinations were also performed. Samples found to be positive by qRT-PCR were partially sequenced. WNV-specific RNA was detected in 8 of 34 corvids analyzed, which included 7 hooded crows (Corvus cornix) and 1 Eurasian magpie (Pica pica). Phylogenetic analysis based on partial WNV sequences from the 8 WNV-positive corvids identified in this study revealed that all sequences clustered within the WNV lineage-2; they were at least 97% homologues to WNV lineage-2 sequences from Slovakia, Italy, Czechia, Hungary, Senegal, Austria, Serbia, Greece, Bulgaria, and Germany. WNV sequences showed a divergence (87.94-94.46%) from sequences reported from Romania, Central African Republic, South Africa, Madagascar, Israel, and Cyprus, which clustered into a different clade of WNV lineage-2. Common histopathologic findings of WNV-positive corvids included lymphoplasmacytic hepatitis, myocarditis, and splenitis. The liver and heart were found to be the tissues most consistently positive for WNV-specific antigen by immunohistochemistry, followed by the kidney and brain. This study demonstrates for the first time the existence of WNV virus belonging to the genetic lineage-2 in resident corvids in Istanbul, Turkey. We hypothesize that the WNV strains circulating in Istanbul are possibly the result of a spillover event from Europe. Since WNV is a zoonotic pathogen transmitted by mosquito vectors, the emergence of WNV in Istanbul also poses a risk to humans and other susceptible animals in this densely populated city and needs to be addressed by animal and public health authorities.}, }
@article {pmid34744759, year = {2021}, author = {Flores-Santin, J and Burggren, WW}, title = {Beyond the Chicken: Alternative Avian Models for Developmental Physiological Research.}, journal = {Frontiers in physiology}, volume = {12}, number = {}, pages = {712633}, pmid = {34744759}, issn = {1664-042X}, abstract = {Biomedical research focusing on physiological, morphological, behavioral, and other aspects of development has long depended upon the chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) as a key animal model that is presumed to be typical of birds and generally applicable to mammals. Yet, the modern chicken in its many forms is the result of artificial selection more intense than almost any other domesticated animal. A consequence of great variation in genotype and phenotype is that some breeds have inherent aberrant physiological and morphological traits that may show up relatively early in development (e.g., hypertension, hyperglycemia, and limb defects in the broiler chickens). While such traits can be useful as models of specific diseases, this high degree of specialization can color general experimental results and affect their translational value. Against this background, in this review we first consider the characteristics that make an animal model attractive for developmental research (e.g., accessibility, ease of rearing, size, fecundity, development rates, genetic variation, etc.). We then explore opportunities presented by the embryo to adult continuum of alternative bird models, including quail, ratites, songbirds, birds of prey, and corvids. We conclude by indicating that expanding developmental studies beyond the chicken model to include additional avian groups will both validate the chicken model as well as potentially identify even more suitable avian models for answering questions applicable to both basic biology and the human condition.}, }
@article {pmid34738933, year = {2021}, author = {Kas, JJ and Vila, FD and Pemmaraju, CD and Tan, TS and Rehr, JJ}, title = {Advanced calculations of X-ray spectroscopies with FEFF10 and Corvus.}, journal = {Journal of synchrotron radiation}, volume = {28}, number = {Pt 6}, pages = {1801-1810}, doi = {10.1107/S1600577521008614}, pmid = {34738933}, issn = {1600-5775}, support = {DE-AC02-76SF00515//US Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering/ ; DEFG02-97ER45623//US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences/ ; DE-AC02-05CH11231//US Department of Energy, Office of Science, National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Crows ; X-Rays ; }, abstract = {The real-space Green's function code FEFF has been extensively developed and used for calculations of X-ray and related spectra, including X-ray absorption (XAS), X-ray emission (XES), inelastic X-ray scattering, and electron energy-loss spectra. The code is particularly useful for the analysis and interpretation of the XAS fine-structure (EXAFS) and the near-edge structure (XANES) in materials throughout the periodic table. Nevertheless, many applications, such as non-equilibrium systems, and the analysis of ultra-fast pump-probe experiments, require extensions of the code including finite-temperature and auxiliary calculations of structure and vibrational properties. To enable these extensions, we have developed in tandem a new version FEFF10 and new FEFF-based workflows for the Corvus workflow manager, which allow users to easily augment the capabilities of FEFF10 via auxiliary codes. This coupling facilitates simplified input and automated calculations of spectra based on advanced theoretical techniques. The approach is illustrated with examples of high-temperature behavior, vibrational properties, many-body excitations in XAS, super-heavy materials, and fits of calculated spectra to experiment.}, }
@article {pmid34725818, year = {2022}, author = {Séguin, K and Durand-Guévin, A and Lavallée, C and Ouimet, F and Maisonhaute, JÉ and Watson, CJ and Forbes, SL}, title = {The taphonomic impact of scavenger guilds in southern Quebec during summer and fall in two distinct habitats.}, journal = {Journal of forensic sciences}, volume = {67}, number = {2}, pages = {460-470}, doi = {10.1111/1556-4029.14929}, pmid = {34725818}, issn = {1556-4029}, support = {C150-2017-12//Canada 150 Research Chair in Forensic Thanatology/ ; RGPIN/6098/2019//Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Birds ; *Ecosystem ; *Feeding Behavior ; Postmortem Changes ; Quebec ; Seasons ; Swine ; }, abstract = {Decomposition of human remains is a complex process impacted by many intrinsic and extrinsic factors. A less-studied extrinsic factor in forensic taphonomy are the scavengers that consume soft and hard tissue. Scavengers physically degrade and remove soft tissue, disperse, and destroy skeletal elements, which can make locating remains challenging. While invertebrate activity has been largely investigated, there is limited quantitative data available on vertebrate activity, particularly in Canada. This study aimed to determine which species (vertebrate and invertebrate) belong to the scavenger guilds in southern Quebec, and their potential taphonomic impact on the decomposition process. Two independent trials were conducted in 2020 using pig carcasses: one during summer in a forest habitat and one during fall in a grassland habitat. Each carcass was placed a minimum 100 m apart in semi-rural land. Vertebrate scavenger activity was recorded by continuous surveillance using trail cameras. Carcasses were also regularly visited to monitor the decomposition process and the activity of invertebrate scavengers. Overall, the vertebrate scavenger guilds included a narrow range of corvids, turkey vultures, coyotes, and skunks. The intensity of vertebrate scavengers was greater in the grassland habitat (fall), while the intensity of invertebrate scavengers was greater in the forest habitat (summer). With the exception of invertebrate scavengers, very few species visited during the fresh stage of decomposition, and the probability of body displacement increased as decomposition progressed. These results identify which scavengers have the greatest taphonomic impact and highlight the importance of incorporating scavenger impact when searching for human remains.}, }
@article {pmid34703616, year = {2021}, author = {Wascher, CAF and Allen, K and Szipl, G}, title = {Learning and motor inhibitory control in crows and domestic chickens.}, journal = {Royal Society open science}, volume = {8}, number = {10}, pages = {210504}, pmid = {34703616}, issn = {2054-5703}, abstract = {Cognitive abilities allow animals to navigate through complex, fluctuating environments. In the present study, we tested the performance of a captive group of eight crows, Corvus corone and 10 domestic chickens, Gallus gallus domesticus, in the cylinder task, as a test of motor inhibitory control and reversal learning as a measure of learning ability and behavioural flexibility. Four crows and nine chickens completed the cylinder task, eight crows and six chickens completed the reversal learning experiment. Crows performed better in the cylinder task compared with chickens. In the reversal learning experiment, species did not significantly differ in the number of trials until the learning criterion was reached. The performance in the reversal learning experiment did not correlate with performance in the cylinder task in chickens. Our results suggest crows to possess better motor inhibitory control compared with chickens. By contrast, learning performance in a reversal learning task did not differ between the species, indicating similar levels of behavioural flexibility. Interestingly, we describe notable individual differences in performance. We stress the importance not only to compare cognitive performance between species but also between individuals of the same species when investigating the evolution of cognitive skills.}, }
@article {pmid34694633, year = {2021}, author = {Metzler, D and Knief, U and Peñalba, JV and Wolf, JBW}, title = {Assortative mating and epistatic mating-trait architecture induce complex movement of the crow hybrid zone.}, journal = {Evolution; international journal of organic evolution}, volume = {75}, number = {12}, pages = {3154-3174}, doi = {10.1111/evo.14386}, pmid = {34694633}, issn = {1558-5646}, mesh = {Animals ; *Crows ; Hybridization, Genetic ; Phenotype ; Reproduction ; Reproductive Isolation ; }, abstract = {Hybrid zones provide a window into the evolutionary processes governing species divergence. Yet, the contribution of mate choice to the temporal and spatial stability of hybrid zones remains poorly explored. Here, we investigate the effects of assortative mating on hybrid-zone dynamics by means of a mathematical model parameterized with phenotype and genotype data from the hybrid zone between all-black carrion and gray-coated hooded crows. In the best-fit model, narrow clines of the two mating-trait loci were maintained by a moderate degree of assortative mating inducing pre- and postzygotic isolation via positive frequency-dependent selection. Epistasis between the two loci induced hybrid-zone movement in favor of alleles conveying dark plumage followed by a shift in the opposite direction favoring gray-coated phenotypes ∼ 1 200 generations after secondary contact. Unlinked neutral loci diffused near-unimpeded across the zone. These results were generally robust to the choice of matching rule (self-referencing or parental imprinting) and effects of genetic drift. Overall, this study illustrates under which conditions assortative mating can maintain steep clines in mating-trait loci without generalizing to genome-wide reproductive isolation. It further emphasizes the importance of the genetic mating-trait architecture for spatio-temporal hybrid-zone dynamics.}, }
@article {pmid34690156, year = {2021}, author = {Cardon, N}, title = {Cycling on the Color Line: Race, Technology, and Bicycle Mobilities in the Early Jim Crow South, 1887-1905.}, journal = {Technology and culture}, volume = {62}, number = {4}, pages = {973-1002}, doi = {10.1353/tech.2021.0151}, pmid = {34690156}, issn = {1097-3729}, mesh = {African Americans ; *Bicycling ; Humans ; Technology ; United States ; *Whites ; }, abstract = {The safety bicycle arrived in the U.S. South in the middle of a transition from relative African American freedom following the Civil War to a reassertion of white hegemony in the region. This article examines how white and African American southerners interpreted the meanings and practices of the safety bicycle through a contingent spatial and mobility politics found at the intersection of race and technology. For African Americans, the bicycle was both a symbolic and real opportunity to express modern freedoms at the moment those freedoms were being curtailed. The South, however, was not the only region of the world where the politics of race shaped bicycle mobilities, and this article points to the ways the southern experience of bicycle technology mirrors but does not necessarily replicate places beyond the United States.}, }
@article {pmid34687465, year = {2021}, author = {Molin, N and Wang, N and Isaacson, G}, title = {A Novel Adenoidectomy Training System.}, journal = {The Laryngoscope}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1002/lary.29925}, pmid = {34687465}, issn = {1531-4995}, abstract = {OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Young residents find mirror-guided adenoidectomy difficult. Inexperienced trainees must learn to focus a headlight beam, work upside-down and backward in a small space and thoroughly ablate adenoid tissue-all new skills. We present an adenoidectomy training system that is low-cost, easy to construct, and is focused on these basic adenoidectomy skills.<br><br>STUDY DESIGN: Prospective experimental study.<br><br>METHODS: This training suite includes three stations each targeting a different skill. The first employs a mannequin head with exposed nasopharynx. It trains the student to coordinate a headlight and mirror while touching a series of targets with a curved probe. At the second station participants electrodessicate (or microdebride) an anchored piece of veal thymus. The third station combines both sets of skills as participants ablate thymus in a simulated nasopharynx (30 mm rectangular aluminum tube) constrained within a Crow-Davis retractor, using a headlight, mirror, and suction electrosurgical electrode (or microdebrider). To evaluate the training system's efficacy, we assessed the performance of 10 surgically naïve medical student volunteers before and after 15 minutes of practice using a validated rating scale used for adenoidectomy.<br><br>RESULTS: There was significant improvement in adenoidectomy skill scores after practicing. Overall scores were higher, time taken to touch a series of targets with a headlight and mirror was less and amount of tissue ablated at the final station was greater (P < .05).<br><br>CONCLUSION: This novel adenoidectomy training system is inexpensive and easy to build. Practice with the model resulted in statistically significant improvement in adenoidectomy skill scores for inexperienced student surgeons.<br><br>LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 Laryngoscope, 2021.}, }
@article {pmid34677128, year = {2021}, author = {Zeiträg, C and Jacobs, I}, title = {The elusive perspective of a food thief.}, journal = {eLife}, volume = {10}, number = {}, pages = {}, pmid = {34677128}, issn = {2050-084X}, mesh = {Animals ; Feeding Behavior ; Food ; *Passeriformes ; *Songbirds ; }, abstract = {Eurasian jays fail to take into account the point of view and desire of other jays when hiding food they can eat later.}, }
@article {pmid34676090, year = {2021}, author = {Zhao, W}, title = {A forum on synthetic biology: meet the great challenges with new technology.}, journal = {National science review}, volume = {8}, number = {1}, pages = {nwaa252}, doi = {10.1093/nsr/nwaa252}, pmid = {34676090}, issn = {2053-714X}, abstract = {Synthetic biology aims to redesign and reconstruct living systems for understanding life or for useful real-world applications. In the past two decades, scientists have been able to use engineered living systems to produce many kinds of products from bioplastics to drugs, to construct a minimal bacterium with a fully synthetic genome and to store huge amount of information within a cell. And in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the world, the synthetic biology community became one of the major forces to develop effective diagnostic approaches as well as the drugs and vaccines, to rapidly cope with this great challenge with the state-of-the-art technologies in their hands. In this panel discussion held on 3rd August 2020, eleven pioneering synthetic biologists from six countries across four continents gathered to discuss the development trend, challenges and biosafety issues concerning synthetic biology. George Church Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School and Professor of Health Sciences and Technology at Harvard and MIT, USA Paul Freemont Professor of Structural Biology in the Department of Infectious Disease at Imperial College and a member of the Science Advisory Board of Tierra Biosciences, UK Akihiko Kondo Professor in School of Science, Technology and Innovation, and Department of Chemical Science and Engineering at Kobe University, Japan Christina Smolke Professor of Bioengineering and of Chemical Engineering at Stanford University and CEO of Antheia Inc., USA Xian-En Zhang Professor at the Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China Chenli Liu (Chair) Professor and Director of Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China Jim Collins Termeer Professor of Medical Engineering &amp; Science and Professor of Biological Engineering at MIT, USA Jay Keasling Professor of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering at the University of California, Berkeley, USA Sang Yup Lee Dean of KAIST Institutes and Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), South Korea Claudia Vickers Director of the Future Science Platform in Synthetic Biology at Commonwealth Science and Industry Research Organization (CSIRO), Australia Guoping Zhao Professor at the Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China.}, }
@article {pmid34657464, year = {2021}, author = {Pesendorfer, MB and Bowman, R and Gratzer, G and Pruett, S and Tringali, A and Fitzpatrick, JW}, title = {Fire history and weather interact to determine extent and synchrony of mast-seeding in rhizomatous scrub oaks of Florida.}, journal = {Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences}, volume = {376}, number = {1839}, pages = {20200381}, pmid = {34657464}, issn = {1471-2970}, mesh = {Animals ; Ecosystem ; *Fires ; *Quercus ; Seeds ; Weather ; }, abstract = {In disturbance-prone ecosystems, fitness consequences of plant reproductive strategies are often determined by the relative timing of seed production and disturbance events, but the role of disturbances as proximate drivers of seed production has been overlooked. We use long-term data on seed production in Quercus chapmanii, Q. geminata and Q. inopina, rhizomatous oaks found in south central Florida's oak scrub, to investigate the role of fire history and its interaction with weather in shaping acorn production and its synchrony. Acorn production increased with the time since last fire, combined with additive or interactive effects of spring precipitation (+) or drought (-). Furthermore, multiple matrix regression models revealed that ramet pairs with shared fire history were more synchronous in seed production than ones that burned in different years. Long-term trends suggest that increasingly drier spring weather, in interaction with fire frequency, may drive a decline of seed production. Such declines could affect the community of acorn-reliant vertebrates in the Florida scrub, including endangered Florida scrub-jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens). These results illustrate that fire can function as a proximate driver of seed production in mast-seeding species, highlighting the increasingly recognized importance of interactions among reproductive strategies and disturbance regimes in structuring plant populations and communities. This article is part of the theme issue 'The ecology and evolution of synchronized seed production in plants'.}, }
@article {pmid34656051, year = {2021}, author = {Nieder, A}, title = {Consciousness without cortex.}, journal = {Current opinion in neurobiology}, volume = {71}, number = {}, pages = {69-76}, doi = {10.1016/j.conb.2021.09.010}, pmid = {34656051}, issn = {1873-6882}, mesh = {Animals ; Brain ; *Cerebral Cortex ; *Consciousness/physiology ; Mammals ; Neurons/physiology ; Telencephalon ; }, abstract = {Sensory consciousness - the awareness and ability to report subjective experiences - is a property of biological nervous systems that has evolved out of unconscious processing over hundreds of millions of years. From which brain structures and based on which mechanisms can conscious experience emerge? Based on the body of work in human and nonhuman primates, the emergence of consciousness is intimately associated with the workings of the mammalian cerebral cortex with its specific cell types and layered structure. However, recent neurophysiological recordings demonstrate a neuronal correlate of consciousness in the pallial endbrain of crows. These telencephalic integration centers in birds originate embryonically from other pallial territories, lack a layered architecture characteristic for the cerebral cortex, and exhibit independently evolved pallial cell types. This argues that the mammalian cerebral cortex is not a prerequisite for consciousness to emerge in all vertebrates. Rather, it seems that the anatomical and physiological principles of the telencephalic pallium offer this structure as a brain substrate for consciousness to evolve independently across vertebrate phylogeny.}, }
@article {pmid34648926, year = {2021}, author = {Kombiah, S and Kumar, M and Murugkar, HV and Nagarajan, S and Tosh, C and Senthilkumar, D and Rajukumar, K and Kalaiyarasu, S and Gautam, S and Singh, R and Karikalan, M and Sharma, AK and Singh, VP}, title = {Role of expression of host cytokines in the pathogenesis of H9N2-PB2 reassortant and non-reassortant H5N1 avian influenza viruses isolated from crows in BALB/c mice.}, journal = {Microbial pathogenesis}, volume = {161}, number = {Pt A}, pages = {105239}, doi = {10.1016/j.micpath.2021.105239}, pmid = {34648926}, issn = {1096-1208}, mesh = {Animals ; Chickens ; *Crows ; Cytokines ; *Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype ; *Influenza A Virus, H9N2 Subtype/genetics ; *Influenza in Birds ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Reassortant Viruses/genetics ; }, abstract = {The present experiment was conducted to study the role of cytokine, chemokine and TLRs responses of H9N2-PB2 reassortant H5N1 virus as compared to non-reassortant H5N1 virus isolated from crows in BALB/c mice. Two groups (12 mice each) of 6-8 weeks old BALB/c mice were intranasally inoculated with 106 EID50/ml of viruses A/crow/India/03CA04/2015 (H9N2-PB2 reassortant H5N1) and A/crow/India/02CA01/2012 (non-reassortant H5N1). At each interval, brain, lung and spleen were collected and relative quantification of cytokines, chemokines and TLRs was done by qPCR. The H9N2-PB2 reassortant H5N1 infected mice brain, the transcripts of TLR7 were significantly higher than other cytokines at 3dpi and KC was significantly upregulated at 7dpi. In non-reassortant H5N1 infected mice brain showed, TLR 7 and IFNα upregulation at 3dpi and IFNγ and TLR7 upregulation at 7dpi. The H9N2-PB2 reassortant H5N1 infected mice lung revealed, IL2 and TLR7 significant upregulation at 3dpi and in non-reassortant H5N1 infected mice, IL6 was significantly upregulated. At 7dpi in H9N2-PB2 reassortant H5N1 virus infected group mice, IL1 and TLR 3 were significantly upregulated in lungs and in non-reassortant group mice, IL1 and TLR7 were significantly upregulated. At 3dpi in H9N2-PB2 reassortant H5N1 virus infected mice spleen, IL4, IFNα, IFNβ were significantly downregulated and TLR7 transcript was significantly upregulated. In non-reassortant group mice, IL6, IFNα, IFNβ and TLR 3 were significantly upregulated. At 7dpi in H9N2-PB2 reassortant H5N1 virus infected mice spleen, IFNα, IFNβ and TLR7 were significantly lower than other cytokines and in non-reassortant group mice, IFNα and IFNβ were significantly downregulated. This study concludes that dysregulation of cytokines in lungs and brain might have contributed to the pathogenesis of both the viruses in mice.}, }
@article {pmid34641734, year = {2021}, author = {Baciadonna, L and Solvi, C and La Cava, S and Pilenga, C and Gamba, M and Favaro, L}, title = {Cross-modal individual recognition in the African penguin and the effect of partnership.}, journal = {Proceedings. Biological sciences}, volume = {288}, number = {1960}, pages = {20211463}, pmid = {34641734}, issn = {1471-2954}, mesh = {Animals ; Cues ; Endangered Species ; Humans ; Recognition, Psychology ; *Spheniscidae ; Territoriality ; }, abstract = {An animal's ability to recognize another individual by matching their image to their voice suggests they form internal representations of other individuals. To what extent this ability, termed cross-modal individual recognition, extends to birds other than corvids is unknown. Here, we used an expectancy violation paradigm to determine whether a monogamous territorial seabird (Spheniscus demersus) can cross-modally recognize familiar conspecifics (partners or colony-mates). After pairs of penguins spent time together in an isolated area, one of the penguins was released from the area leaving the focal penguin alone. Subsequently, we played contact calls of the released penguin (congruent condition) or a different penguin (incongruent condition). After being paired with a colony-mate, focal penguins' response latency to the auditory stimulus was faster in the incongruent compared to congruent condition, indicating the mismatch violated their expectations. This behavioural pattern was not observed in focal penguins after being paired with their partner. We discuss these different results in the light of penguins' natural behaviour and the evolution of social communication strategies. Our results suggest that cross-modal individual recognition extends to penguins and reveals, in contrast with previously thought, that social communication between members of this endangered species can also use visual cues.}, }
@article {pmid34636975, year = {2021}, author = {Tomita, K}, title = {Camera traps reveal interspecific differences in the diel and seasonal patterns of cicada nymph predation.}, journal = {Die Naturwissenschaften}, volume = {108}, number = {6}, pages = {52}, pmid = {34636975}, issn = {1432-1904}, support = {21J1301901//the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Hemiptera ; Nymph ; Predatory Behavior ; Seasons ; *Ursidae ; }, abstract = {Cicadas, a group of large-bodied insects, are preyed upon at both nymphal and adult stages by diverse range of vertebrates such as birds and mammals. Although the behavior of predators toward adult cicadas is well documented, there is a lack of research on the predation on cicada nymphs. In this study, camera traps deployed in conifer plantations, in which high population densities of cicadas Lyristes bihamatus emerge, were used to evaluate the seasonal and diel patterns of predation upon cicada nymphs by three predator species, namely brown bears, red foxes, and jungle crows, from May to September in 2018 and 2019 in northern Japan. Among all three species, cicada nymph predation occurred until early August when the final instar nymphs fully emerged. Bears were observed to constantly dig for cicada nymphs until early August, whereas foxes and crows were frequently observed foraging from late July to early August, during the season of L. bihamatus emergence. In contract to the powerful digging ability of bears, which facilitates efficient predation upon subterranean cicada nymphs, it is generally difficult for foxes and crows with limited or no digging ability to gain access these nymphs until the period of emergence. Cicada nymph predation by bears and crows was observed primarily during the daytime, despite the typical crepuscular/nocturnal emergence schedules of these insects. Contrastingly, the predatory activities of foxes tended to be nocturnal during the period prior to the beginning of cicada emergence, although subsequently became diurnal during the cicada emergence period. These observations indicate that the temporal activity patterns of cicada nymph predators are determined by interspecific differences in predation abilities and cicada emergence schedules. Accordingly, the findings of this study provide evidence to indicate that the timing and duration of trophic interactions between above- and belowground communities might vary among predator species, depending on their predation abilities.}, }
@article {pmid34618523, year = {2021}, author = {Delamater, AR and Wasserman, EA}, title = {Comparative cognition-Conceptual and methodological advancements.}, journal = {Journal of experimental psychology. Animal learning and cognition}, volume = {47}, number = {3}, pages = {219-222}, doi = {10.1037/xan0000309}, pmid = {34618523}, issn = {2329-8464}, mesh = {Animals ; *Cognition ; *Concept Formation ; Dogs ; Mice ; Pan troglodytes ; Rats ; }, abstract = {This special issue originally placed a Call for Papers that emphasized the importance of "Conceptual and Methodological" advances in the field of Comparative Cognition. Represented here is a collection of 14 papers that helps to display some of the diversity of ideas and approaches within this flourishing research area. The first paper in this issue, by Gazes and Lazareva (2021), discusses transitive inference learning from the perspectives of: identifying the problems of contextual variables in studying different species; whether associative processes can or cannot fully account for the behavior and, if not, what alternative representational mechanisms might be at work; and, finally, how ecological considerations may support comparative research by suggesting novel theoretical and empirical questions. The next paper, by Loy et al. (2021) investigates questions related to the complexity of learning in invertebrate species, single-celled organisms, and plants. The paper by Rawlings et al. (2021) reviews the literature on cumulative cultural evolution, primarily in nonhuman primate species, and critically evaluates the importance of identifying the essential conceptual and methodological issues in what many have deemed to be a uniquely human form of behavior. The paper by Goto and Watanabe (2021) explores whether the mouse visual system is sensitive to Gestalt principles, using operant discrimination learning tasks similar to those used previously to document Gestalt processing in chimpanzees and humans. Qadri and Cook (2021) use the innovative approach of "adaptive genetic algorithms" to assess the relative importance of different features of a stimulus in controlling organisms' discrimination learning performance. Wittek et al. (2021) introduce a novel method for studying the importance of visual accumulation processes in pigeons when information is presented to a single hemisphere at a time. The paper by Cowie et al. (2021) focuses on a misallocation model of two-step sequence learning in young children and explores from a behavioranalytic viewpoint the implications of assuming that reinforcement might be misattributed to a misremembered response at the beginning of the behavioral sequence. The paper by López-Tolsa and Pellón (2021) explores whether the opportunity to display schedule-induced drinking as an early response within a behavioral sequence might alter the accuracy of temporal control in different-length fixed-interval schedule tasks with rats. Crystal (2021) reviews the literature examining episodic memory in nonhuman species and considers a variety of criteria and methods thought to be crucial for establishing empirical evidence for episodic memory in nonhumans, in general, and rats, in particular. Vila et al. (2021) discuss the use a novel 'hide-and-seek' task in preschool age children to study episodic-like memory; their work illustrates how memory dynamics can change over time in a manner not very unlike what has been demonstrated in other nonhuman research paradigms. The paper by Krichbaum et al. (2021) discusses some of the methodological difficulties one faces in studying spatial cognition in canines. The paper by Castro et al. (2021) uses a complex categorization learning task in which different sets of display features are diagnostic, or not, of category mastery depending upon context. The paper by Vernouillet et al. (2021) explores the formation of same/different concept learning in two species of corvids (pinyon jays and California scrub jays). The final paper, by Lazarowski et al. (2021) examines the possibility of abstract same/different learning in canines using a trial-unique training matching-to-sample procedure with olfactory stimuli. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).}, }
@article {pmid34613989, year = {2021}, author = {Raymond, S and Schwartz, ALW and Thomas, RJ and Chadwick, E and Perkins, SE}, title = {Temporal patterns of wildlife roadkill in the UK.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {16}, number = {10}, pages = {e0258083}, pmid = {34613989}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Accidents, Traffic/*prevention &amp; control ; Animals ; Animals, Wild/*physiology ; Deer ; *Ecosystem ; Female ; Foxes/physiology ; Humans ; Male ; Rabbits ; Reproduction/*physiology ; Seasons ; United Kingdom/epidemiology ; }, abstract = {Wildlife-vehicle collisions are one of the main causes of mortality for wild mammals and birds in the UK. Here, using a dataset of 54,000+ records collated by a citizen science roadkill recording scheme between 2014-2019, we analyse and present temporal patterns of wildlife roadkill of the 19 most commonly reported taxa in the UK (84% of all reported roadkill). Most taxa (13 out of 19) showed significant and consistent seasonal variations in road mortality and fitted one of two seasonal patterns; bimodal or unimodal: only three species (red fox Vulpes vulpes, European polecat Mustela putorius and Reeves' muntjac deer Muntiacus reevesi) showed no significant seasonality. Species that increase movement in spring and autumn potentially have bimodal patterns in roadkill due to the increase in mate-searching and juvenile dispersal during these respective time periods (e.g. European badger Meles meles). Unimodal patterns likely represent increased mortality due to a single short pulse in activity associated with breeding (e.g. birds) or foraging (e.g. grey squirrels Sciurus carolinensis in autumn). Importantly, these patterns also indicate periods of increased risk for drivers, potentially posing a greater threat to human welfare. In addition to behaviour-driven annual patterns, abiotic factors (temperature and rainfall) explained some variance in roadkill. Notably, high rainfall was associated with decreased observations of two bird taxa (gulls and Eurasian magpies Pica pica) and European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus. By quantifying seasonal patterns in roadkill, we highlight a significant anthropogenic impact on wild species, which is important in relation to conservation, animal welfare, and human safety.}, }
@article {pmid34604660, year = {2021}, author = {Baky, MH and Shawky, EM and Elgindi, MR and Ibrahim, HA}, title = {Comparative Volatile Profiling of Ludwigia stolonifera Aerial Parts and Roots Using VSE-GC-MS/MS and Screening of Antioxidant and Metal Chelation Activities.}, journal = {ACS omega}, volume = {6}, number = {38}, pages = {24788-24794}, pmid = {34604660}, issn = {2470-1343}, abstract = {Ludwigia stolonifera (Guill. &amp; Perr.) P.H.Raven belonging to the family Onagraceae is an important aquatic herbal plant of economic importance in water bioremediation. We explored the compositional heterogeneity in the aroma profile of L. stolonifera aerial parts and roots. Volatile profiling was employed for the first time using volatile solvent extraction (VSE-GC-MS/MS) of both aerial parts and roots. A total of 85 volatiles were identified belonging to eight classes, viz., aliphatic, aromatic, and oxygenated hydrocarbons, monoterpenes, diterpenes, alcohols, acids/esters, and sterols. Aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons were found to be the most abundant metabolite groups in both aerial parts and roots. Furthermore, antioxidant and metal chelation activities of aerial parts and roots were investigated, revealing a potent activity as an antioxidant and high metal chelation capacity for heavy metals.}, }
@article {pmid34596763, year = {2021}, author = {Cristiani, E and Menci, M and Papi, M and Brafman, L}, title = {An all-leader agent-based model for turning and flocking birds.}, journal = {Journal of mathematical biology}, volume = {83}, number = {4}, pages = {45}, pmid = {34596763}, issn = {1432-1416}, mesh = {Animals ; Models, Theoretical ; *Starlings ; }, abstract = {Starting from recent experimental observations of starlings and jackdaws, we propose a minimal agent-based mathematical model for bird flocks based on a system of second-order delayed stochastic differential equations with discontinuous (both in space and time) right-hand side. The model is specifically designed to reproduce self-organized spontaneous sudden changes of direction, not caused by external stimuli like predator's attacks. The main novelty of the model is that every bird is a potential turn initiator, thus leadership is formed in a group of indistinguishable agents. We investigate some theoretical properties of the model and we show the numerical results. Biological insights are also discussed.}, }
@article {pmid34592662, year = {2022}, author = {Hossain, SMZ and Sultana, N and Mohammed, ME and Razzak, SA and Hossain, MM}, title = {Hybrid support vector regression and crow search algorithm for modeling and multiobjective optimization of microalgae-based wastewater treatment.}, journal = {Journal of environmental management}, volume = {301}, number = {}, pages = {113783}, doi = {10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113783}, pmid = {34592662}, issn = {1095-8630}, mesh = {Algorithms ; Animals ; Biomass ; *Chlorella ; *Crows ; *Microalgae ; Nitrogen ; Waste Water ; *Water Purification ; }, abstract = {Microalgae-based wastewater treatment (and biomass production) is an environmentally benign and energetically efficient technique as compared to traditional practices. The present study is focused on optimization of the major treatment variables such as temperature, light-dark cycle (LD), and nitrogen (N)-to-phosphate (P) ratio (N/P) for the elimination of N and P from tertiary municipal wastewater utilizing Chlorella kessleri microalgae species. In this regard, a hybrid support vector regression (SVR) technique integrated with the crow search algorithm has been applied as a novel modeling/optimization tool. The SVR models were formulated using the experimental data, which were furnished according to the response surface methodology with Box-Behnken Design. Various statistical indicators, including mean absolute percentage error, Taylor diagram, and fractional bias, confirmed the superior performance of SVR models as compared to the response surface methodology (RSM) and generalized linear model (GLM). Finally, the best SVR model was hybridized with the crow search algorithm for single/multi-objective optimizations to acquire the global optimal treatment conditions for maximum N and P removal efficiencies. The best-operating conditions were found to be 29.3°C, 24/0 h/h of LD, and 6:1 of N/P, with N and P elimination efficiencies of 99.97 and 93.48%, respectively. The optimized values were further confirmed by new experimental data.}, }
@article {pmid34578176, year = {2021}, author = {Lopes, C and Brandão, R and Lopes, AF and Sargo, R and Casero, M and Nunes, C and Silva, F and Dubey, JP and Cardoso, L and Lopes, AP}, title = {Prevalence of Antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii in Different Wild Bird Species Admitted to Rehabilitation Centres in Portugal.}, journal = {Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland)}, volume = {10}, number = {9}, pages = {}, pmid = {34578176}, issn = {2076-0817}, support = {UIDB/CVT/00772/2020//Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia/ ; }, abstract = {Toxoplasma gondii is a worldwide zoonotic parasite. According to the "One Health" approach, studies on toxoplasmosis are essential since it affects humans and domestic and wild animals. In the present study, antibodies to T. gondii were determined in serum samples from 263 wild birds located in five wildlife rehabilitation centres in mainland Portugal by using the modified agglutination test (MAT) with a cut-off titre of 20. An overall seroprevalence of 36.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 30.7-42.6) was observed. For the first time, antibodies to T. gondii were detected in some avian species, including pallid swift (Apus pallidus) (33.3%), black-backed gull (Larus fuscus) (39.3%), European turtle-dove (Streptopelia turtur) (100%), bee-eater (Merops apiaster) (50.0%), carrion crow (Corvus corone) (33.3%), and Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus) (100%), which expands the list of intermediate hosts of T. gondii. A lower seroprevalence was found in juvenile birds (31.9%) compared to adults (48.7%) (p = 0.016). The central region of Portugal was considered a risk factor for T. gondii infection in wild birds (odds ratio: 3.61; 95% CI: 1.09-11.91). This pioneer study calls attention to the need for further studies, to provide a clearer understanding of T. gondii epidemiology in Portugal, because it reflects wide dispersion of T. gondii oocysts in the environment.}, }
@article {pmid34558671, year = {2021}, author = {Jaffe, RJ and Constantinidis, C}, title = {Working Memory: From Neural Activity to the Sentient Mind.}, journal = {Comprehensive Physiology}, volume = {11}, number = {4}, pages = {2547-2587}, pmid = {34558671}, issn = {2040-4603}, support = {R01 EY017077/EY/NEI NIH HHS/United States ; R01 MH116675/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Brain ; Cognition ; *Memory, Short-Term ; Neurons ; *Prefrontal Cortex ; }, abstract = {Working memory (WM) is the ability to maintain and manipulate information in the conscious mind over a timescale of seconds. This ability is thought to be maintained through the persistent discharges of neurons in a network of brain areas centered on the prefrontal cortex, as evidenced by neurophysiological recordings in nonhuman primates, though both the localization and the neural basis of WM has been a matter of debate in recent years. Neural correlates of WM are evident in species other than primates, including rodents and corvids. A specialized network of excitatory and inhibitory neurons, aided by neuromodulatory influences of dopamine, is critical for the maintenance of neuronal activity. Limitations in WM capacity and duration, as well as its enhancement during development, can be attributed to properties of neural activity and circuits. Changes in these factors can be observed through training-induced improvements and in pathological impairments. WM thus provides a prototypical cognitive function whose properties can be tied to the spiking activity of brain neurons. © 2021 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 11:1-41, 2021.}, }
@article {pmid34555011, year = {2021}, author = {Camacho Mateu, J and Sireci, M and Muñoz, MA}, title = {Phenotypic-dependent variability and the emergence of tolerance in bacterial populations.}, journal = {PLoS computational biology}, volume = {17}, number = {9}, pages = {e1009417}, pmid = {34555011}, issn = {1553-7358}, mesh = {Adaptation, Physiological ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology ; Bacteria/drug effects ; *Bacterial Physiological Phenomena ; Biological Evolution ; Biological Variation, Population ; Computational Biology ; Computer Simulation ; Drug Tolerance ; Microbiota/drug effects/physiology ; *Models, Biological ; Phenotype ; Stress, Physiological ; }, abstract = {Ecological and evolutionary dynamics have been historically regarded as unfolding at broadly separated timescales. However, these two types of processes are nowadays well-documented to intersperse much more tightly than traditionally assumed, especially in communities of microorganisms. Advancing the development of mathematical and computational approaches to shed novel light onto eco-evolutionary problems is a challenge of utmost relevance. With this motivation in mind, here we scrutinize recent experimental results showing evidence of rapid evolution of tolerance by lag in bacterial populations that are periodically exposed to antibiotic stress in laboratory conditions. In particular, the distribution of single-cell lag times-i.e., the times that individual bacteria from the community remain in a dormant state to cope with stress-evolves its average value to approximately fit the antibiotic-exposure time. Moreover, the distribution develops right-skewed heavy tails, revealing the presence of individuals with anomalously large lag times. Here, we develop a parsimonious individual-based model mimicking the actual demographic processes of the experimental setup. Individuals are characterized by a single phenotypic trait: their intrinsic lag time, which is transmitted with variation to the progeny. The model-in a version in which the amplitude of phenotypic variations grows with the parent's lag time-is able to reproduce quite well the key empirical observations. Furthermore, we develop a general mathematical framework allowing us to describe with good accuracy the properties of the stochastic model by means of a macroscopic equation, which generalizes the Crow-Kimura equation in population genetics. Even if the model does not account for all the biological mechanisms (e.g., genetic changes) in a detailed way-i.e., it is a phenomenological one-it sheds light onto the eco-evolutionary dynamics of the problem and can be helpful to design strategies to hinder the emergence of tolerance in bacterial communities. From a broader perspective, this work represents a benchmark for the mathematical framework designed to tackle much more general eco-evolutionary problems, thus paving the road to further research avenues.}, }
@article {pmid34549646, year = {2022}, author = {Cowan, ES and Dill, LJ and Sutton, S}, title = {Collective Healing: A Framework for Building Transformative Collaborations in Public Health.}, journal = {Health promotion practice}, volume = {23}, number = {3}, pages = {356-360}, doi = {10.1177/15248399211032607}, pmid = {34549646}, issn = {1524-8399}, mesh = {Humans ; *Public Health ; }, abstract = {The capacity of cross-sector collaboration to create meaningful change across social-ecological levels has long been understood in public health. But the ability of cross-sector collaboration to achieve systemic change around the structural determinants of health remains complicated. In 2021, now more than ever, we understand the imperative of strengthening the capacity of collaborative efforts to address the myriad structural health crises facing our communities, from police violence and mass incarceration to Jim Crow laws and redlining, to urban renewal and environmental injustice. Our proposed collective healing framework brings together the collective impact model and radical healing framework to offer a blueprint for cross-sector collaboration that understands the practices of healing to be at the center of public health collaborations and public health practice at large. In this framework, public health practitioners and our collaborators are asked to prioritize relationship building, engage in critical self-reflection, to move beyond compromise, to address differences, to interrogate traditional metrics and approaches, to remake the collective table, and to build shared understanding through action.}, }
@article {pmid34534371, year = {2022}, author = {Allen, S and Held, S and Milne-Price, S and McCormick, A and Feng, D and Inouye, J and Schure, M and Castille, D and Howe, RB and Pitts, M and Keene, S and Belone, L and Wallerstein, N}, title = {Community sharing: Contextualizing Western research notions of contamination within an Indigenous research paradigm.}, journal = {American journal of community psychology}, volume = {69}, number = {1-2}, pages = {145-156}, pmid = {34534371}, issn = {1573-2770}, support = {U01 MD010619/MD/NIMHD NIH HHS/United States ; U54 GM104944/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Chronic Disease ; *Health Services, Indigenous ; Humans ; *Population Groups ; Universities ; }, abstract = {Báa nnilah is a chronic illness self-management program designed by and for the Apsáalooke (Crow) community. Arising from a collaboration between an Indigenous nonprofit organization and a university-based research team, Báa nnilah's development, implementation, and evaluation have been influenced by both Indigenous and Western research paradigms (WRPs). Báa nnilah was evaluated using a randomized wait-list control group design. In a WRP, contamination, or intervention information shared by the intervention group with the control group, is actively discouraged as it makes ascertaining causality difficult, if not impossible. This approach is not consonant with Apsáalooke cultural values that include the encouragement of sharing helpful information with others, supporting an Indigenous research paradigm's (IRP) goal of benefiting the community. The purpose of this paper is to address contamination and sharing as an area of tension between WRP and IRP. We describe how the concepts of contamination and sharing within Báa nnilah's implementation and evaluation are interpreted differently when viewed from these contrasting paradigms, and set forth a call for greater exploration of Indigenous research approaches for developing, implementing, and evaluating intervention programs in Indigenous communities. (Improving Chronic Illness Management with the Apsáalooke Nation: The Báa nnilah Project.: NCT03036189), ClinicalTrials. gov: NCT03036189).}, }
@article {pmid34532917, year = {2021}, author = {Bauch, C and Boonekamp, JJ and Korsten, P and Mulder, E and Verhulst, S}, title = {High heritability of telomere length and low heritability of telomere shortening in wild birds.}, journal = {Molecular ecology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1111/mec.16183}, pmid = {34532917}, issn = {1365-294X}, support = {823.01.009//Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek/ ; BA 5422/1-1//Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft/ ; }, abstract = {Telomere length and telomere shortening predict survival in many organisms. This raises the question of the contribution of genetic and environmental effects to variation in these traits, which is still poorly known, particularly for telomere shortening. We used experimental (cross-fostering) and statistical (quantitative genetic "animal models") means to disentangle and estimate genetic and environmental contributions to telomere length variation in pedigreed free-living jackdaws (Corvus monedula). Telomere length was measured twice in nestlings, at ages 4 (n = 715) and 29 days (n = 474), using telomere restriction fragment (TRF) analysis, adapted to exclude interstitial telomeric sequences. Telomere length shortened significantly over the nestling period (10.4 ± 0.3 bp day-1) and was highly phenotypically (rP = 0.95 ± 0.01) and genetically (rG > 0.99 ± 0.01) correlated within individuals. Additive genetic effects explained a major part of telomere length variation among individuals, with its heritability estimated at h2 = 0.74 on average. We note that TRF-based studies reported higher heritabilities than qPCR-based studies, and we discuss possible explanations. Parent-offspring regressions yielded similar heritability estimates for mothers and fathers when accounting for changes in paternal telomere length over life. Year effects explained a small but significant part of telomere length variation. Heritable variation for telomere shortening was low (h2 = 0.09 ± 0.11). The difference in heritability between telomere length (high) and telomere shortening (low) agrees with evolutionary theory, in that telomere shortening has stronger fitness consequences in this population. Despite the high heritability of telomere length, its evolvability, which scales the additive genetic variance by mean telomere length, was on average 0.48%. Hence, evolutionary change of telomere length due to selection is likely to be slow.}, }
@article {pmid34528189, year = {2022}, author = {Ehteram, M and Panahi, F and Ahmed, AN and Huang, YF and Kumar, P and Elshafie, A}, title = {Predicting evaporation with optimized artificial neural network using multi-objective salp swarm algorithm.}, journal = {Environmental science and pollution research international}, volume = {29}, number = {7}, pages = {10675-10701}, pmid = {34528189}, issn = {1614-7499}, mesh = {*Algorithms ; Malaysia ; *Neural Networks, Computer ; Uncertainty ; Water ; }, abstract = {Evaporation is a crucial component to be established in agriculture management and water engineering. Evaporation prediction is thus an essential issue for modeling researchers. In this study, the multilayer perceptron (MLP) was used for predicting daily evaporation. MLP model is as one of the famous ANN models with multilayers for predicting different target variables. A new strategy was used to enhance the accuracy of the MLP model. Three multi-objective algorithms, namely, the multi-objective salp swarm algorithm (MOSSA), the multi-objective crow algorithm (MOCA), and the multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO), were respectively and separately coupled to the MLP model for determining the model parameters, the best input combination, and the best activation function. In this study, three stations in Malaysia, namely, the Muadzam Shah (MS), the Kuala Terengganu (KT), and the Kuantan (KU), were selected for the prediction of the respective daily evaporation. The spacing (SP) and maximum spread (MS) indices were used to evaluate the quality of generated Pareto front (PF) by the algorithms. The lower SP and higher MS showed better PF for the models. It was observed that the MOSSA had higher MS and lower SP than the other algorithms, at all stations. The root means square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), percent bias (PBIAS), and Nash Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) quantifiers were used to compare the ability of the models with each other. The MLP-MOSSA had reduced RMSE compared to the MLP-MOCA, MLP-MOPSO, and MLP models by 18%, 25%, and 35%, respectively, at the MS station. The MAE of the MLP-MOSSA was 2.7%, 4.1%, and 26%, respectively lower than those of the MLP-MOCA, MLP-MOPSO, and MLP models at the KU station. The MLP-MOSSA showed lower MAE than the MLP-MOCA, MLP-MOPSO, and MLP models by 16%, 18%, and 19%, respectively, at the KT station. An uncertainty analysis was performed based on the input and parameter uncertainty. The results indicated that the MLP-MOSSA had the lowest uncertainty among the models. Also, the input uncertainty was lower than the parameter uncertainty. The general results indicated that the MLP-MOSSA had the high efficiency for predicting evaporation.}, }
@article {pmid34522959, year = {2022}, author = {Rodríguez, JM and Bae, B and Geronimus, AT and Bound, J}, title = {The Political Realignment of Health: How Partisan Power Shaped Infant Health in the United States, 1915-2017.}, journal = {Journal of health politics, policy and law}, volume = {47}, number = {2}, pages = {201-224}, doi = {10.1215/03616878-9517191}, pmid = {34522959}, issn = {1527-1927}, mesh = {Government Agencies ; Humans ; Infant ; *Infant Health ; Mass Gatherings ; Policy ; *Politics ; United States ; }, abstract = {The US two-party system was transformed in the 1960s when the Democratic Party abandoned its Jim Crow protectionism to incorporate the policy agenda fostered by the civil rights movement, and the Republican Party redirected its platform toward socioeconomic and racial conservatism. The authors argue that the policy agendas promoted by the two parties through presidents and state legislatures codify a racially patterned access to resources and power detrimental to the health of all. To test the hypothesis that fluctuations in overall and race-specific infant mortality rates (IMRs) shift between the parties in power before and after the political realignment (PR), the authors apply panel data analysis methods to state-level data from the National Center for Health Statistics for the period 1915 through 2017. Net of trend, overall, and race-specific IMRs were not statistically different between presidential parties before the PR. This pattern, however, changed after the PR, with Republican administrations consistently underperforming Democratic ones. Net of trend, non-Southern state legislatures controlled by Republicans underperform Democratic ones in overall and racial IMRs in both periods.}, }
@article {pmid34516784, year = {2021}, author = {Haslam, SA}, title = {Leveraging the collective mindThe Power of Us Jay J. Van Bavel and Dominic J. Packer Little, Brown Spark, 2021. 320 pp.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {373}, number = {6560}, pages = {1206}, doi = {10.1126/science.abl5269}, pmid = {34516784}, issn = {1095-9203}, abstract = {Shared social identities can better prepare us to confront societal problems.}, }
@article {pmid34505575, year = {2021}, author = {Amodio, P and Farrar, BG and Krupenye, C and Ostojić, L and Clayton, NS}, title = {Little evidence that Eurasian jays protect their caches by responding to cues about a conspecific's desire and visual perspective.}, journal = {eLife}, volume = {10}, number = {}, pages = {}, pmid = {34505575}, issn = {2050-084X}, support = {BB/M011194/1/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Cues ; *Feeding Behavior ; Food ; Passeriformes/*physiology ; *Social Behavior ; }, abstract = {Eurasian jays have been reported to protect their caches by responding to cues about either the visual perspective or current desire of an observing conspecific, similarly to other corvids. Here, we used established paradigms to test whether these birds can - like humans - integrate multiple cues about different mental states and perform an optimal response accordingly. Across five experiments, which also include replications of previous work, we found little evidence that our jays adjusted their caching behaviour in line with the visual perspective and current desire of another agent, neither by integrating these social cues nor by responding to only one type of cue independently. These results raise questions about the reliability of the previously reported effects and highlight several key issues affecting reliability in comparative cognition research.}, }
@article {pmid34465241, year = {2021}, author = {Boeckle, M and Schiestl, M and Frohnwieser, A and Gruber, R and Miller, R and Suddendorf, T and Gray, RD and Taylor, AH and Clayton, NS}, title = {New Caledonian crows' planning behaviour: a reply to de Mahy et al.}, journal = {Proceedings. Biological sciences}, volume = {288}, number = {1958}, pages = {20211271}, pmid = {34465241}, issn = {1471-2954}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; *Crows ; *Tool Use Behavior ; }, }
@article {pmid34465238, year = {2021}, author = {de Mahy, D and Esteve, NA and Santariello, A}, title = {New test, old problems: comment on 'New Caledonian crows plan for specific future tool use'.}, journal = {Proceedings. Biological sciences}, volume = {288}, number = {1958}, pages = {20210186}, pmid = {34465238}, issn = {1471-2954}, mesh = {Animals ; Cognition ; *Crows ; *Tool Use Behavior ; }, }
@article {pmid34460065, year = {2021}, author = {Zhang, C and Yang, Y and Hu, T and Zhou, H and Zhang, C and Cao, J and Li, J and Wang, P and Wong, G and Wang, X and Song, H and Gao, GF and Shi, W and Bi, Y}, title = {Three Novel Avastroviruses Identified in Dead Wild Crows.}, journal = {Virologica Sinica}, volume = {36}, number = {6}, pages = {1673-1677}, pmid = {34460065}, issn = {1995-820X}, mesh = {Animals ; *Avastrovirus ; *Crows ; }, }
@article {pmid34457330, year = {2021}, author = {Schnell, AK and Loconsole, M and Garcia-Pelegrin, E and Wilkins, C and Clayton, NS}, title = {Jays are sensitive to cognitive illusions.}, journal = {Royal Society open science}, volume = {8}, number = {8}, pages = {202358}, pmid = {34457330}, issn = {2054-5703}, abstract = {Jays hide food caches, steal them from conspecifics and use tactics to minimize cache theft. Jays are sensitive to the content of their own caches, retrieving items depending on their preferences and the perishability of the cached item. Whether jays impose the same content sensitivity when they steal caches is less clear. We adapted the 'cups-and-balls' magic routine, creating a cognitive illusion to test whether jays are sensitive to the (i) content of hidden items and (ii) type of displacement. Subjects were presented with two conditions in which hidden food was consistent with their expectations; and two conditions in which food was manipulated to violate their expectations by switching their second preferred food for their preferred food (up-value) or vice versa (de-value). Subjects readily accepted food when it was consistent with their expectations but were more likely to re-inspect the baited cup and alternative cup when their expectations were violated. In the de-value condition, jays exhibited longer latencies to consume the food and often rejected it. Dominant subjects were more likely to reject the food, suggesting that social factors influence their responses to cognitive illusions. Using cognitive illusions offers innovative avenues for investigating the psychological constraints in diverse animal minds.}, }
@article {pmid34451412, year = {2021}, author = {Stokes, HS and Berg, ML and Bennett, ATD}, title = {A Review of Chlamydial Infections in Wild Birds.}, journal = {Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland)}, volume = {10}, number = {8}, pages = {}, pmid = {34451412}, issn = {2076-0817}, support = {N/A//School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University/ ; LP140100691 and DP180103494//Australian Research Council/ ; }, abstract = {The Chlamydia are a globally distributed genus of bacteria that can infect and cause disease in a range of hosts. Birds are the primary host for multiple chlamydial species. The most well-known of these is Chlamydia psittaci, a zoonotic bacterium that has been identified in a range of wild and domesticated birds. Wild birds are often proposed as a reservoir of Chlamydia psittaci and potentially other chlamydial species. The aim of this review is to present the current knowledge of chlamydial infections in wild avian populations. We focus on C. psittaci but also consider other Chlamydiaceae and Chlamydia-related bacteria that have been identified in wild birds. We summarise the diversity, host range, and clinical signs of infection in wild birds and consider the potential implications of these infections for zoonotic transmission and avian conservation. Chlamydial bacteria have been found in more than 70 species of wild birds, with the greatest chlamydial diversity identified in Europe. The Corvidae and Accipitridae families are emerging as significant chlamydial hosts, in addition to established wild hosts such as the Columbidae. Clarifying the effects of these bacteria on avian host fitness and the zoonotic potential of emerging Chlamydiales will help us to understand the implications of these infections for avian and human health.}, }
@article {pmid34440479, year = {2021}, author = {Kljakovic Gaspic, T and Pavicic Ivelja, M and Kumric, M and Matetic, A and Delic, N and Vrkic, I and Bozic, J}, title = {In-Hospital Mortality of COVID-19 Patients Treated with High-Flow Nasal Oxygen: Evaluation of Biomarkers and Development of the Novel Risk Score Model CROW-65.}, journal = {Life (Basel, Switzerland)}, volume = {11}, number = {8}, pages = {}, pmid = {34440479}, issn = {2075-1729}, abstract = {To replace mechanical ventilation (MV), which represents the cornerstone therapy in severe COVID-19 cases, high-flow nasal oxygen (HFNO) therapy has recently emerged as a less-invasive therapeutic possibility for those patients. Respecting the risk of MV delay as a result of HFNO use, we aimed to evaluate which parameters could determine the risk of in-hospital mortality in HFNO-treated COVID-19 patients. This single-center cohort study included 102 COVID-19-positive patients treated with HFNO. Standard therapeutic methods and up-to-date protocols were used. Patients who underwent a fatal event (41.2%) were significantly older, mostly male patients, and had higher comorbidity burdens measured by CCI. In a univariate analysis, older age, shorter HFNO duration, ventilator initiation, higher CCI and lower ROX index all emerged as significant predictors of adverse events (p < 0.05). Variables were dichotomized and included in the multivariate analysis to define their relative weights in the computed risk score model. Based on this, a risk score model for the prediction of in-hospital mortality in COVID-19 patients treated with HFNO consisting of four variables was defined: CCI > 4, ROX index ≤ 4.11, LDH-to-WBC ratio, age > 65 years (CROW-65). The main purpose of CROW-65 is to address whether HFNO should be initiated in the subgroup of patients with a high risk of in-hospital mortality.}, }
@article {pmid34432054, year = {2022}, author = {Johnsson, RD and Connelly, F and Vyssotski, AL and Roth, TC and Lesku, JA}, title = {Homeostatic regulation of NREM sleep, but not REM sleep, in Australian magpies.}, journal = {Sleep}, volume = {45}, number = {2}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1093/sleep/zsab218}, pmid = {34432054}, issn = {1550-9109}, mesh = {Australia ; *Electroencephalography ; Homeostasis/physiology ; Humans ; Sleep/physiology ; Sleep Deprivation ; Sleep Stages/physiology ; *Sleep, REM/physiology ; }, abstract = {STUDY OBJECTIVES: We explore non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep homeostasis in Australian magpies (Cracticus tibicen tyrannica). We predicted that magpies would recover lost sleep by spending more time in NREM and REM sleep, and by engaging in more intense NREM sleep as indicated by increased slow-wave activity (SWA).<br><br>METHODS: Continuous 72-h recordings of EEG, EMG, and tri-axial accelerometry, along with EEG spectral analyses, were performed on wild-caught Australian magpies housed in indoor aviaries. Australian magpies were subjected to two protocols of night-time sleep deprivation: full 12-h night (n = 8) and first 6-h half of the night (n = 5), which were preceded by a 36-h baseline recording and followed by a 24-h recovery period.<br><br>RESULTS: Australian magpies recovered from lost NREM sleep by sleeping more, with increased NREM sleep consolidation, and increased SWA during recovery sleep. Following 12-h of night-time sleep loss, magpies also showed reduced SWA the following night after napping more during the recovery day. Surprisingly, the magpies did not recover any lost REM sleep.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Only NREM sleep is homeostatically regulated in Australian magpies with the level of SWA reflecting prior sleep/wake history. The significance of emerging patterns on the apparent absence of REM sleep homeostasis, now observed in multiple species, remains unclear.}, }
@article {pmid34431914, year = {2021}, author = {Khan, RA and Ullah, Z and Zaman, IU and Khan, MS and Mahmood, S and Akhtar, N and Khan, MF and Yasmin, S and Saqlain, M and Rehman, AU and Aksar, N and Khan, SN and Hussain, SS}, title = {Population distribution and habitat analysis of Rufous treepie (Dendrocitta vagabunda) in Abbottabad, Pakistan.}, journal = {Brazilian journal of biology = Revista brasleira de biologia}, volume = {83}, number = {}, pages = {e247018}, doi = {10.1590/1519-6984.247018}, pmid = {34431914}, issn = {1678-4375}, mesh = {Animals ; *Ecosystem ; Pakistan ; Population Density ; }, abstract = {The Rufous treepie (Dendrocitta vagabunda) belongs to family corvidae, order Passeriformes which includes about 100 species. The current study was conducted to gather information about the Population distribution and habitat analysis of D. vagabunda at District Abbottabad, Pakistan. The data were collected on monthly basis both morning and evening times (2018-2019). "The ''Point count Method" was used for population estimation and ''Quadrates Method" for habitat analysis of study area. The result shows an average month-wise population density of D. vagabunda was maximum at Jhangra 0.14±0.039/ha, whereas minimum at Havelian 0.11±0.022/ha. There was no significant difference (p>0.05) among monthly population densities of D. vagabunda, however, a significant difference (p<0.05) was found between morning and evening times population of the specie. The present study revealed that importance value index (IVI) of plants species at Sherwan, Bakot, Havelian, Langra and Jhangra were 59.6±12.6, 50.1±6.9, 53.4±6.3, 66.8±10 and 60.1±7.7. Likewise, the frequency of shrubs at Sherwan, Bakot, Havelian, Langra and Jhangra were 33.3±4.2, 45±9.4, 46.7±8.2, 55.6±22.2 and 37.5±8.5. Similarly, the frequency of herbs at Sherwan, Bakot, Havelian, Langra and Jhangra were 40.4±6.0, 37.5±5.6, 53.3±7.4, 48.5±5.2 and 46.9±7.4 respectively. Our results show the study area as suitable habitat for D. vagabunda.}, }
@article {pmid34427802, year = {2022}, author = {Veselý, P and Syrová, M and Voháňková, M and Havlíček, J and Nácarová, J and Fuchs, R}, title = {Cowards or clever guys: an alternative nest defence strategy employed by shrikes against magpies.}, journal = {Animal cognition}, volume = {25}, number = {2}, pages = {307-317}, pmid = {34427802}, issn = {1435-9456}, support = {048/2019/P//Jihočeská Univerzita v Českých Budějovicích/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Male ; *Passeriformes/physiology ; *Predatory Behavior/physiology ; }, abstract = {Red-backed shrikes (Lanius collurio) show a substantial variability in their nest defence behaviour, which usually follows the rules of optimal parental behaviour, vigorously attacking egg and chick predators and only passively guarding against harmless animals. Nevertheless, shrikes hesitate to attack the Eurasian magpie (Pica pica), which specializes in plundering passerine nests. Our previous studies have suggested that this behaviour may be the result of an alternative defence strategy, relying on nest crypsis. To test this hypothesis, at the shrike nests, we presented a magpie dummy associated with playbacks drawing the predators' attention to the presence of the nest. We predicted that the presentation of a magpie dummy associated with shrike alarm calls moves the parents to action, causing them to chase the magpie away from the nest. We showed that the presence of a magpie dummy associated with shrike alarm calls elicits a significantly more active response in shrike parents compared to a magpie dummy associated with neutral song. Parents actively moved around the dummy and produced alarm calls; nevertheless, most of the tested pairs hesitated to attack the dummy. We may conclude that the low nest defence activity of shrike parents towards magpie dummy was partly the result of an alternative strategy, which may be cancelled out by alerting the predator to the location of the nest; nevertheless, shrikes seem to be afraid of the magpie and hesitate to attack it physically.}, }
@article {pmid34419195, year = {2021}, author = {Lane, R}, title = {Ollie Jay: managing heat, improving health.}, journal = {Lancet (London, England)}, volume = {398}, number = {10301}, pages = {655}, doi = {10.1016/S0140-6736(21)01799-2}, pmid = {34419195}, issn = {1474-547X}, mesh = {*Hot Temperature ; Humans ; }, }
@article {pmid34416712, year = {2021}, author = {Tempero, M}, title = {Something to Crow About!.}, journal = {Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network : JNCCN}, volume = {19}, number = {8}, pages = {881-882}, doi = {10.6004/jnccn.2021.0039}, pmid = {34416712}, issn = {1540-1413}, }
@article {pmid34413575, year = {2022}, author = {Das, S and Sahu, TP and Janghel, RR and Sahu, BK}, title = {Effective forecasting of stock market price by using extreme learning machine optimized by PSO-based group oriented crow search algorithm.}, journal = {Neural computing &amp; applications}, volume = {34}, number = {1}, pages = {555-591}, pmid = {34413575}, issn = {0941-0643}, abstract = {Stock index price forecasting is the influential indicator for investors and financial investigators by which decision making capability to achieve maximum benefit with minimum risk can be improved. So, a robust engine with capability to administer useful information is desired to achieve the success. The forecasting effectiveness of stock market is improved in this paper by integrating a modified crow search algorithm (CSA) and extreme learning machine (ELM). The effectiveness of proposed modified CSA entitled as Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO)-based Group oriented CSA (PGCSA) to outperform other existing algorithms is observed by solving 12 benchmark problems. PGCSA algorithm is used to achieve relevant weights and biases of ELM to improve the effectiveness of conventional ELM. The impact of hybrid PGCSA ELM model to predict next day closing price of seven different stock indices is observed by using performance measures, technical indicators and hypothesis test (paired t-test). The seven stock indices are considered by incorporating data during COVID-19 outbreak. This model is tested by comparing with existing techniques proposed in published works. The simulation results provide that PGCSA ELM model can be considered as a suitable tool to predict next day closing price.}, }
@article {pmid34388763, year = {2021}, author = {Cheng, Z and Zhang, J and Dong, J and Ding, Y}, title = {Compact high-contrast silicon optical filter using all-passive and CROW Fano nanobeam resonators.}, journal = {Optics letters}, volume = {46}, number = {16}, pages = {3873-3876}, doi = {10.1364/OL.433850}, pmid = {34388763}, issn = {1539-4794}, abstract = {We propose and experimentally demonstrate a high-order coupled-resonator optical waveguide (CROW) nanobeam filter with semi-symmetrical Fano resonance enhancement. Thanks to the tight arrangement of multiple nanobeams and assistance of the partial transmission element, the designed filter has a high-contrast transmission and low insertion loss. Finally, the fabricated filter has a compact size of 20µm×10µm, a high extinction ratio as much as 70 dB, and an insertion loss as low as 1 dB. This filter shows a passive structure without thermal control configuration for calibration on each resonator. This compact filter can be a basic building block for various applications requiring high extinction ratio filtering, such as single-photon source filtering of integrated photon chips.}, }
@article {pmid34379642, year = {2021}, author = {Wang, H and Parris, JJ}, title = {Popular media as a double-edged sword: An entertainment narrative analysis of the controversial Netflix series 13 Reasons Why.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {16}, number = {8}, pages = {e0255610}, pmid = {34379642}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Bullying ; *Communication ; Drama ; Humans ; Motion Pictures/*statistics &amp; numerical data ; Social Media/*statistics &amp; numerical data ; Suicide/*prevention &amp; control/*psychology ; Television/*standards/trends ; }, abstract = {13 Reasons Why is a Netflix original series adapted from Jay Asher's 2007 young adult novel with the same title. Season 1 premiered on March 31, 2017 and featured the sensitive issue of teen suicide along with bullying, substance use, depression, and sexual assault. Unlike the typical teen dramas on popular streaming platforms, this show was created not only for entertainment, but also to stimulate conversations about taboo topics that people often shy away from. However, it also caused significant controversy, especially criticism around the main character Hannah's suicide scene. More than three years into the initial controversy and at least two dozen scholarly publications later, this study is the first to examine the entertainment narrative content of 13 Reasons Why Season 1 to better understand how these health and social issues were portrayed in the show, what specific examples we could identify as potential behavioral modeling, and to what degree it complied with the 2017 WHO guidelines for media professionals. We used the framing theory and social cognitive theory in communication research and media studies as our guiding conceptual frameworks and a narrative analysis approach to investigate a total of 660 cut scenes in all 13 episodes. Our findings provided empirical evidence, along with contextual information and detailed examples, to demonstrate that a popular entertainment program like the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why serves as a double-edged sword. The production team's good will and due diligence are commendable. Yet, additional steps can be taken in the future to effectively promote professional resources and reduce viewers' risks, especially the most vulnerable groups.}, }
@article {pmid34377816, year = {2021}, author = {He, A and Guo, J and Peng, H and Huang, Z and Liu, J and Xu, X}, title = {The complete mitochondrial genome of Atypus karschi (Araneae, Atypidae) with phylogenetic consideration.}, journal = {Mitochondrial DNA. Part B, Resources}, volume = {6}, number = {9}, pages = {2523-2525}, pmid = {34377816}, issn = {2380-2359}, abstract = {The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Atypus karschi has a circular genome of 14,149 bp, comprised of 13 protein-coding genes, two rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes, and a control region. The nucleotide composition is 35.82% of T, 35.13% of A, 17.19% of G, and 9.16% of C. Most genes are encoded on the heavy strand except seven tRNA genes (Leu, Phe, His, Pro, Leu, Ile, Gln), four protein-coding genes (nad5, nad4, nad4l, nad1), and 16S-rRNA on the light strand. Most protein-coding genes start with TTG, ATT or ATA initiation codon except cox1, cox1's start codon cannot be determined, and three types of inferred termination codons are TAA, TAG, and an incomplete stop codon. There are four intergenic spacers and 25 gene overlaps. The phylogenetic analysis shows that A. karschi has closer genetic relationship with Cyriopagopus schmidti (von Wirth, 1991) and Phyxioschema suthepium (Raven &amp; Schwendinger, 1898) with high bootstrap support.}, }
@article {pmid34374698, year = {2021}, author = {Vishwanath,  and Hemal, A and Nimesh, M and Singh, M and Agarwal, S}, title = {Neurocognitive Lag in School-Aged Children Living With HIV in India and Its Relevance.}, journal = {Cureus}, volume = {13}, number = {7}, pages = {e16110}, pmid = {34374698}, issn = {2168-8184}, abstract = {Objective Objective assessment of neurocognitive lags in pediatric HIV patients and its correlation with various clinical, social and familial factors. Methods Ninety-eight school-aged children living with HIV (CLHIV) (age 7-18 years) attending regional pediatric HIV clinic were observed for neurocognitive lag using Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices by the same trained instructor. Sociodemographic data, mode of transmission, clinical staging, CD4 count, highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) duration were recorded and analyzed in the well-performing group and under-performing group. Results 29.6% of children had definitive neurocognitive lag. The proportion of older children (11-18 years) in the under-performing group was significantly high (P = 0.007). The mean CD4 counts were low in the under-performing group (P = 0.001). Other socioeconomic factors could not be specifically correlated with neurocognitive lag in either of the groups. Conclusion CLHIV has a significant neurocognitive lag, which is accentuated in the upper age group. Findings point toward declining intellectual gains with increasing age in CLHIV.}, }
@article {pmid34372622, year = {2021}, author = {Escribano-Romero, E and Jiménez de Oya, N and Camacho, MC and Blázquez, AB and Martín-Acebes, MA and Risalde, MA and Muriel, L and Saiz, JC and Höfle, U}, title = {Previous Usutu Virus Exposure Partially Protects Magpies (Pica pica) against West Nile Virus Disease But Does Not Prevent Horizontal Transmission.}, journal = {Viruses}, volume = {13}, number = {7}, pages = {}, pmid = {34372622}, issn = {1999-4915}, mesh = {Animals ; Antibodies, Viral/blood ; Bird Diseases/virology ; Cross Protection/*immunology ; Disease Transmission, Infectious/*veterinary ; Flavivirus/*immunology ; Flavivirus Infections/immunology/*veterinary ; Passeriformes/*virology ; Spain ; West Nile Fever/prevention &amp; control/*transmission/*veterinary ; West Nile virus/*immunology ; }, abstract = {The mosquito-borne flaviviruses USUV and WNV are known to co-circulate in large parts of Europe. Both are a public health concern, and USUV has been the cause of epizootics in both wild and domestic birds, and neurological cases in humans in Europe. Here, we explore the susceptibility of magpies to experimental USUV infection, and how previous exposure to USUV would affect infection with WNV. None of the magpies exposed to USUV showed clinical signs, viremia, or detectable neutralizing antibodies. After challenge with a neurovirulent WNV strain, neither viremia, viral titer of WNV in vascular feathers, nor neutralizing antibody titers of previously USUV-exposed magpies differed significantly with respect to magpies that had not previously been exposed to USUV. However, 75% (6/8) of the USUV-exposed birds survived, while only 22.2% (2/9) of those not previously exposed to USUV survived. WNV antigen labeling by immunohistochemistry in tissues was less evident and more restricted in magpies exposed to USUV prior to challenge with WNV. Our data indicate that previous exposure to USUV partially protects magpies against a lethal challenge with WNV, while it does not prevent viremia and direct transmission, although the mechanism is unclear. These results are relevant for flavivirus ecology and contention.}, }
@article {pmid34358575, year = {2021}, author = {Tobari, Y and Masuzawa, A and Harada, N and Suzuki, K and Meddle, SL}, title = {Noradrenergic alpha-2A receptor activation suppresses courtship vocalization in male Japanese quail.}, journal = {Behavioural brain research}, volume = {414}, number = {}, pages = {113513}, doi = {10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113513}, pmid = {34358575}, issn = {1872-7549}, support = {BB/P013759/1/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; BB/M027805/1/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Adrenergic alpha-2 Receptor Agonists/administration &amp; dosage/*pharmacology ; Animals ; Clonidine/pharmacology ; Coturnix ; *Courtship ; Male ; Mesencephalon/drug effects/*metabolism ; Norepinephrine/*physiology ; Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-2/*physiology ; Sexual Behavior, Animal/drug effects/*physiology ; Vocalization, Animal/drug effects/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Male Japanese quail produce high-frequency crow vocalizations to attract females during the breeding season. The nucleus of intercollicularis (ICo) is the midbrain vocal center in birds and electrical stimulation of the ICo produces calls that include crowing. Noradrenaline plays a significant role in sexual behavior but the contribution of noradrenaline in the control of courtship vocalizations in quail has not been well established. Using dose-dependent intracerebroventricular injection of clonidine, an α2-adrenergic receptor-specific agonist, crowing vocalization was immediately suppressed. At the same time as crow suppression by clonidine there was a reduction of immediate early gene, zenk mRNA, in the ICo; no zenk mRNA expression was detected in the dorsomedial division of the nucleus. Using histochemistry, we determined that the ICo receives noradrenergic innervation and expresses α2A-adrenergic receptor mRNA. Taken together, these data suggest that noradrenaline regulates courtship vocalization in quail, possibly via the α2A-adrenergic receptor expressed on ICo neurons.}, }
@article {pmid34322856, year = {2021}, author = {Schelly, D}, title = {Life in the Time of COVID-19: a Case Study of Community Health.}, journal = {Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, pmid = {34322856}, issn = {2196-8837}, abstract = {INTRODUCTION: This report uses a present day global pandemic as a case study of health inequities that are best understood by considering the role of time and place.<br><br>METHOD: I provide a historical overview of Milwaukee, Wisconsin-one of the most segregated cities in the U.S.-to consider prior health disparities and social conditions. I then focus on COVID-19, tracking the monthly census tract distribution of cases for 6 months, including case and mortality data by race and class.<br><br>RESULTS: As expected, Black and Hispanic majority census tracts are the most affected by COVID-19, with some communities experiencing nearly 1 positive case per 10 residents. In previous years, Blacks and Hispanics provided approximately 27% and 3% of the shares of "natural" deaths, respectively; their shares of COVID-19 deaths in the first 6 months of the pandemic were approximately 35% and 13%. On the contrary, the share of natural deaths for whites was approximately 65% in previous years and dropped to 47% for COVID-19 deaths. The average ages of COVID-19 deaths were 72.5 for Blacks, 61.3 for Hispanics, and 79.9 for whites.<br><br>CONCLUSION: The disparities in COVID-19 outcomes in Milwaukee cannot be separated from historical forces, including race-based politics that intensified during the Great Migration of African Americans from the Jim Crow South. The paper concludes by returning to the turn of the 19th century with a historical snapshot of Jane Addams, who lived a short distance south, in a time with conspicuous parallels to the COVID-19 crisis.}, }
@article {pmid34315102, year = {2021}, author = {Sarker, S and Bowden, TR and Boyle, DB}, title = {Genomic characterisation of a novel avipoxvirus, magpiepox virus 2, from an Australian magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen terraereginae).}, journal = {Virology}, volume = {562}, number = {}, pages = {121-127}, doi = {10.1016/j.virol.2021.07.010}, pmid = {34315102}, issn = {1096-0341}, mesh = {Animals ; Australia ; Avipoxvirus/classification/*genetics ; DNA, Viral/genetics ; Evolution, Molecular ; Genome, Viral/*genetics ; Genomics ; Multigene Family ; Open Reading Frames ; Passeriformes/*virology ; Phylogeny ; Species Specificity ; }, abstract = {Avipoxviruses are large, double-stranded DNA viruses and are considered significant pathogens that may impact on the conservation of numerous bird species. The vast majority of avipoxviruses in wild birds remain uncharacterised and their genetic variability is unclear. Here, we fully sequenced a novel avipoxvirus, magpiepox virus 2 (MPPV2), which was isolated 62 years ago (in 1956) from an Australian black-backed magpie. The MPPV2 genome was 298,392 bp in length and contained 419 predicted open-reading frames (ORFs). While 43 ORFs were novel, a further 24 ORFs were absent compared with another magpiepox virus (MPPV) characterised in 2018. The MPPV2 genome contained an additional ten genes that were homologs to shearwaterpox virus 2 (SWPV2). Subsequent phylogenetic analyses showed that the novel MPPV2 was most closely related to other avipoxviruses isolated from passerine and shearwater bird species, and demonstrated a high degree of sequence similarity (95.0%) with MPPV.}, }
@article {pmid34311037, year = {2022}, author = {Berry, OO}, title = {Editorial: Race-Based Traumatic Stress and Vicarious Racism Within the Parent-Child Dyad: Opportunities for Intervention.}, journal = {Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry}, volume = {61}, number = {3}, pages = {362-363}, doi = {10.1016/j.jaac.2021.07.007}, pmid = {34311037}, issn = {1527-5418}, mesh = {*COVID-19 ; Humans ; Pandemics ; Parent-Child Relations ; *Racism ; SARS-CoV-2 ; United States ; }, abstract = {With every disaster, there are fault lines that deepen our understanding of what has happened and what needs to come. The events over the past 18 months including the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic as well as the murder of George Floyd and the associated protests throughout the United States brought those fault lines into stark relief by highlighting the history of systemic racism that has fostered marginalization and discrimination against Black Americans. These clouds of systemic racism and discrimination-encompassing 250 years of slavery, 100 years of Jim Crow, police brutality, redlining, and the resulting high rates of poverty and poorer health outcomes-have created systems in which Black Americans face unequal and unequitable stressful situations. The medical community is now beginning to take notice of this race-based traumatic stress, a term coined by Carter in 2007,1 to describe how social determinants of health impacted by racial discrimination can "get under the skin" through the accumulative effects of ongoing exposure to toxic stress.2.}, }
@article {pmid34306115, year = {2021}, author = {Khosravi, M and Seifi, S and Tazeh, Z}, title = {Molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of VIIl sub-genotype of avian orthoavulavirus 1 isolated from Eurasian magpie (Pica pica).}, journal = {Iranian journal of veterinary research}, volume = {22}, number = {2}, pages = {155-160}, pmid = {34306115}, issn = {1728-1997}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Newcastle disease (ND) has been categorized as a highly contagious viral disease, remaining as a constant threat to both wild birds and commercial chickens.<br><br>AIMS: In this study, we recovered and characterized the avian orthoavulavirus 1 (AOaV-1) strain, nominated as EM1, from the Eurasian magpie (Pica pica).<br><br>METHODS: The nucleotide and amino acid sequence of the fusion protein (F protein) of EM1 were determined and its phylogenetic relationship was investigated with well-characterized AOaV-1 genotypes, which originated from wild bird species and chickens around the world.<br><br>RESULTS: Phylogenetic analysis and deduced amino acid sequences of the F gene revealed that EM1 virus belonged to VIIl sub-genotype viruses with the characteristic multibasic amino acid sequences associated with the velogenic motif as 112RRQKRF117 at the cleavage site of its precursor fusion protein. EM1 shared a high level of similarity to the other virus sub-genotypes in nucleotide and amino acid sequences of F protein. Furthermore, the evolutionary difference between the studied virus and viruses belonging to the VIIl sub-genotype indicated that a close relatedness and the possibility of a common origin.<br><br>CONCLUSION: These results show that the virulent AOaV-1 of sub-genotype VIIl is circulating continuously in Iran, and is disseminating among wild and domestic bird species that can cause bidirectional spillover infection. Therefore, further epidemiological studies can be beneficial in the assessment of the evolution of AOaV-1 in its hosts and will help us to be well-equipped in facing the emergence of new sub-genotypes of this virus.}, }
@article {pmid34287804, year = {2022}, author = {Roberts, WA}, title = {An operant analog of food caching in the pigeon (Columba livia).}, journal = {Learning &amp; behavior}, volume = {50}, number = {1}, pages = {82-88}, pmid = {34287804}, issn = {1543-4508}, mesh = {Animals ; Columbidae/*physiology ; *Feeding Behavior ; Reinforcement Schedule ; *Reinforcement, Psychology ; }, abstract = {Although pigeons do not naturally cache and recover food items as found in members of the corvid and parid families, an operant analog of food caching and recovery in pigeons was studied in four experiments. Pigeons were trained to peck a caching key that added a fixed increment of time to the final duration of reinforcement obtained by pecking a payoff key. The same key served as the caching and payoff keys in Experiment 1, but separate caching and payoff keys were used in Experiments 2-4. In Experiments 2-3, each peck on a left red caching key added 0.5 s of reinforcement earned by pecking a right white payoff key. In Experiment 4, red or green caching keys appeared on different trials, with 0.5 s of reinforcement earned for pecking the red key and 1.0 s of reinforcement earned for pecking the green key. Pigeons showed an increased number of pecks on the caching key over ten sessions in Experiments 1-3 and more pecks on the green caching key than on the red caching key in Experiment 4.}, }
@article {pmid34268296, year = {2021}, author = {Meilak, EA and Gostling, NJ and Palmer, C and Heller, MO}, title = {On the 3D Nature of the Magpie (Aves: Pica pica) Functional Hindlimb Anatomy During the Take-Off Jump.}, journal = {Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology}, volume = {9}, number = {}, pages = {676894}, pmid = {34268296}, issn = {2296-4185}, abstract = {Take-off is a critical phase of flight, and many birds jump to take to the air. Although the actuation of the hindlimb in terrestrial birds is not limited to the sagittal plane, and considerable non-sagittal plane motion has been observed during take-off jumps, how the spatial arrangement of hindlimb muscles in flying birds facilitates such jumps has received little attention. This study aims to ascertain the 3D hip muscle function in the magpie (Pica pica), a bird known to jump to take-off. A musculoskeletal model of the magpie hindlimb was developed using μCT scans (isotropic resolution of 18.2 μm) to derive bone surfaces, while the 3D muscle path definition was further informed by the literature. Function was robustly characterized by determining the 3D moment-generating capacity of 14 hip muscles over the functional joint range of motion during a take-off leap considering variations across the attachment areas and uncertainty in dynamic muscle geometry. Ratios of peak flexion-extension (FE) to internal-external rotation (IER) and abduction-adduction (ABD) moment-generating capacity were indicators of muscle function. Analyses of 972 variations of the 3D muscle paths showed that 11 of 14 muscles can act as either flexor or extensor, while all 14 muscles demonstrated the capacity to act as internal or external rotators of the hip with the mean ratios of peak FE to IER and ABD moment-generating capacity were 0.89 and 0.31, respectively. Moment-generating capacity in IER approaching levels in the FE moment-generating capacity determined here underline that the avian hip muscle function is not limited to the sagittal plane. Together with previous findings on the 3D nature of hindlimb kinematics, our results suggest that musculoskeletal models to develop a more detailed understanding of how birds orchestrate the use of muscles during a take-off jump cannot be restricted to the sagittal plane.}, }
@article {pmid34260789, year = {2022}, author = {Sen, K and Berglund, T and Patel, N and Chhabra, N and Ricci, DM and Dutta, S and Mukhopadhyay, AK}, title = {Genotypic analyses and antimicrobial resistance profiles of Campylobacter jejuni from crows (Corvidae) of United States and India reflect their respective local antibiotic burdens.}, journal = {Journal of applied microbiology}, volume = {132}, number = {1}, pages = {696-706}, doi = {10.1111/jam.15220}, pmid = {34260789}, issn = {1365-2672}, support = {//Fulbright Global Fellowship to Keya Sen/ ; //King County WaterWorks Program, Washington/ ; //University of Washington Bothell Facilities Services , Washington/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology ; *Campylobacter ; *Campylobacter Infections/veterinary ; *Campylobacter coli ; *Campylobacter jejuni/genetics ; *Crows ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial/genetics ; Humans ; India ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; United States ; }, abstract = {AIM: The study examined the hypothesis that crow-borne Campylobacter can function as environmental reservoirs and indicators of antibiotic resistance (AR) determinants circulating in a human population.<br><br>METHODS AND RESULTS: Two species of crows from Washington (WA), United States, and Kolkata, India, respectively, were examined for their ability to carry antibiotic resistant Campylobacter. Campylobacter jejuni was the only species isolated by selective agar plating from crow faecal samples. Disk diffusion method used to compare the AR profile of the isolates showed tetracycline (TET) resistance to be the most prevalent (27%) among WA isolates, followed by ciprofloxacin (CIP; 24%). Among Kolkata isolates, nalidixic acid resistance was most common (36%), followed by CIP (27%). The AR profile demonstrated by crow isolates of WA reflects those reported by the US National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System for human isolates (2007-2011), where resistance to TET was most prevalent (≈45%), followed by quinolones (≈24%). The Kolkata crow isolates reflected the AR profile of human clinical isolates from India, where 97% resistance was shown to quinolones, followed by TET (18%). Multilocus sequence typing of 37 isolates, including 11 water isolates from the crow roost area, showed 24 different sequence types (STs). Seventeen of these were previously found in wild birds, 2 in human diarrhoea, 4 in poultry and 8 in environmental water. One isolate was found in both water and faeces, though from different sites within WA.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that crows most likely acquire the AR from anthropogenic sources. Although they are colonized by specific STs, rarely isolated from humans, they can facilitate the spread of AR.<br><br>By studying two areas in different continents, this research demonstrates that Campylobacter borne by crows can function as environmental reservoirs and indicators of AR determinants that circulate in a human population. This information will be of importance to scientists from the medical and poultry industries.}, }
@article {pmid34256579, year = {2021}, author = {Breen, AJ}, title = {Animal culture research should include avian nest construction.}, journal = {Biology letters}, volume = {17}, number = {7}, pages = {20210327}, pmid = {34256579}, issn = {1744-957X}, mesh = {Animals ; *Finches ; *Nesting Behavior ; }, abstract = {Material culture-that is, group-shared and socially learned object-related behaviour(s)-is a widespread and diverse phenomenon in humans. For decades, researchers have sought to confirm the existence of material culture in non-human animals; however, the main study systems of interest-namely, tool making and/or using non-human primates and corvids-cannot provide such confirmatory evidence: because long-standing ethical and logistical constraints handicap the collection of necessary experimental data. Synthesizing evidence across decades and disciplines, here, I present a novel framework for (mechanistic, developmental, behavioural, and comparative) study on animal material culture: avian nest construction.}, }
@article {pmid34253607, year = {2021}, author = {Steele, MP and Neaves, LE and Klump, BC and St Clair, JJH and Fernandes, JRSM and Hequet, V and Shaw, P and Hollingsworth, PM and Rutz, C}, title = {DNA barcoding identifies cryptic animal tool materials.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {118}, number = {29}, pages = {}, pmid = {34253607}, issn = {1091-6490}, support = {BB/G023913/1/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; BB/G023913/2/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; RPG-2015-273/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Crows ; *DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic ; DNA, Plant/genetics ; Nesting Behavior/physiology ; Phylogeny ; Plant Structures/anatomy &amp; histology/classification/genetics ; Tool Use Behavior/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Some animals fashion tools or constructions out of plant materials to aid foraging, reproduction, self-maintenance, or protection. Their choice of raw materials can affect the structure and properties of the resulting artifacts, with considerable fitness consequences. Documenting animals' material preferences is challenging, however, as manufacture behavior is often difficult to observe directly, and materials may be processed so heavily that they lack identifying features. Here, we use DNA barcoding to identify, from just a few recovered tool specimens, the plant species New Caledonian crows (Corvus moneduloides) use for crafting elaborate hooked stick tools in one of our long-term study populations. The method succeeded where extensive fieldwork using an array of conventional approaches-including targeted observations, camera traps, radio-tracking, bird-mounted video cameras, and behavioral experiments with wild and temporarily captive subjects-had failed. We believe that DNA barcoding will prove useful for investigating many other tool and construction behaviors, helping to unlock significant research potential across a wide range of study systems.}, }
@article {pmid34243677, year = {2022}, author = {Jalaludin, B and Garden, FL and Chrzanowska, A and Haryanto, B and Cowie, CT and Lestari, F and Morgan, G and Mazumdar, S and Metcalf, K and Marks, GB}, title = {Associations Between Ambient Particulate Air Pollution and Cognitive Function in Indonesian Children Living in Forest Fire-Prone Provinces.}, journal = {Asia-Pacific journal of public health}, volume = {34}, number = {1}, pages = {96-105}, doi = {10.1177/10105395211031735}, pmid = {34243677}, issn = {1941-2479}, mesh = {*Air Pollutants/toxicity ; *Air Pollution/statistics &amp; numerical data ; Child ; Cognition ; Environmental Exposure/statistics &amp; numerical data ; *Fires ; Humans ; Indonesia/epidemiology ; Particulate Matter/analysis/toxicity ; *Wildfires ; }, abstract = {Smoke from forest fires can reach hazardous levels for extended periods of time. We aimed to determine if there is an association between particulate matter ≤2.5 µm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5) and living in a forest fire-prone province and cognitive function. We used data from the Indonesian Family and Life Survey. Cognitive function was assessed by the Ravens Colored Progressive Matrices (RCPM). We used regression models to estimate associations between PM2.5 and living in a forest fire-prone province and cognitive function. In multivariable models, we found very small positive relationships between PM2.5 levels and RCPM scores (PM2.5 level at year of survey: β = 0.1%; 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.01, 0.19%]). There were no differences in RCPM scores for children living in forest fire-prone provinces compared with children living in non-forest fire-prone provinces (mean difference = -1.16%, 95% CI [-2.53, 0.21]). RCPM scores were lower for children who had lived in a forest fire-prone province all their lives compared with children who lived in a non-forest fire-prone province all their life (β = -1.50%; 95% CI [-2.94, -0.07]). Living in a forest fire-prone province for a prolonged period of time negatively affected cognitive scores after adjusting for individual factors.}, }
@article {pmid34242287, year = {2021}, author = {Nahid, MI and Fossøy, F and Stokke, BG and Abernathy, V and Begum, S and Langmore, NE and Røskaft, E and Ranke, PS}, title = {No evidence of host-specific egg mimicry in Asian koels.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {16}, number = {7}, pages = {e0253985}, pmid = {34242287}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Color ; Egg Shell/physiology ; Host-Parasite Interactions/*physiology ; Linear Models ; Nesting Behavior/physiology ; Ovum/*physiology ; Parasites/physiology ; Passeriformes/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Avian brood parasitism is costly for the host, in many cases leading to the evolution of defenses like discrimination of parasitic eggs. The parasite, in turn, may evolve mimetic eggs as a counter-adaptation to host egg rejection. Some generalist parasites have evolved host-specific races (gentes) that may mimic the eggs of their main hosts, while others have evolved 'jack-of-all-trades' egg phenotypes that mimic key features of the eggs of several different host species. The Asian koel (Eudynamys scolopaceus) is a widely distributed generalist brood parasite that exploits a wide range of host species. Based on human vision, previous studies have described Asian koel eggs as resembling those of its main host, the house crow (Corvus splendens). Using measurements of egg length and breadth, digital image analysis, reflectance spectrophotometry and avian visual modelling, we examined Asian koel egg variation and potential mimicry in egg size and shape, and eggshell pattern and color in three sympatrically occurring host species in Bangladesh: the common myna (Acridotheres tristis), house crow, and long-tailed shrike (Lanius schach). We found some differences among Asian koel eggs laid in different host nests: a) Asian koel eggs in long-tailed shrike nests were larger than those laid in common myna and house crow nests, and b) Asian koel eggs in house crow nests were less elongated than those in common myna nests. However, these changes in Asian koel egg volume and shape were in the opposite direction with respect to their corresponding host egg characteristics. Thus, our study found no evidence for Asian koel host-specific egg mimicry in three sympatrically occurring host species.}, }
@article {pmid34240581, year = {2021}, author = {Nourani, L and Baghkheirati, AA and Zargar, M and Karimi, V and Djadid, ND}, title = {Haemoproteosis and avian malaria in Columbidae and Corvidae from Iran.}, journal = {Veterinary medicine and science}, volume = {7}, number = {5}, pages = {2043-2050}, pmid = {34240581}, issn = {2053-1095}, mesh = {Animals ; *Bird Diseases/epidemiology ; Columbidae ; Iran/epidemiology ; *Malaria, Avian/epidemiology ; Phylogeny ; *Protozoan Infections, Animal/epidemiology/parasitology ; }, abstract = {Avian malaria (Plasmodium) and related genera (Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon) are diverse and widespread parasites. Despite the extent of knowledge on avian haemosporidian parasites, information about domestic and wild bird's blood parasites is overall insufficient in Iran. Prevalence of the haemosporidian parasites' and phylogenetic relationship of lineages are studied by using molecular and morphological results of 152 examined hosts belonging to 17 species. Molecular analysis for haemosporidian detections demonstrated overall prevalence 22.36%. Inspected hosts mostly belonging to Common Pigeons (Columba livia) parasitized by Haemoproteus spp., and Hooded Crows (Corvus cornix) and Carrion Crow (C. corone) were identified as hosting Plasmodium spp. Detected lineages COLIV03, COQUI05, LINN01, ROFI04 and SGS01 are identified as new reports from Iran. We detected no evidence of Leucocytozoon lineages, while the high prevalence of H. columbae was found in Common Pigeons. Such investigation on avian blood parasites contributes to providing new information on the prevalence, epidemiology and geographical distribution of haemosporidian parasites circulating in domestic, pets and wild birds.}, }
@article {pmid34234956, year = {2021}, author = {Hooper, R and Meekins, E and McIvor, GE and Thornton, A}, title = {Wild jackdaws respond to their partner's distress, but not with consolation.}, journal = {Royal Society open science}, volume = {8}, number = {6}, pages = {210253}, pmid = {34234956}, issn = {2054-5703}, abstract = {Individuals are expected to manage their social relationships to maximize fitness returns. For example, reports of some mammals and birds offering unsolicited affiliation to distressed social partners (commonly termed 'consolation') are argued to illustrate convergent evolution of prosocial traits across divergent taxa. However, most studies cannot discriminate between consolation and alternative explanations such as self-soothing. Crucially, no study that controls for key confounds has examined consolation in the wild, where individuals face more complex and dangerous environments than in captivity. Controlling for common confounds, we find that male jackdaws (Corvus monedula) respond to their mate's stress-states, but not with consolation. Instead, they tended to decrease affiliation and partner visit rate in both experimental and natural contexts. This is striking because jackdaws have long-term monogamous relationships with highly interdependent fitness outcomes, which is precisely where theory predicts consolation should occur. Our findings challenge common conceptions about where consolation should evolve, and chime with concerns that current theory may be influenced by anthropomorphic expectations of how social relationships should be managed. To further our understanding of the evolution of such traits, we highlight the need for our current predictive frameworks to incorporate the behavioural trade-offs inherent to life in the wild.}, }
@article {pmid34222609, year = {2021}, author = {Varghese, JS and Patel, SA and Martorell, R and Ramirez-Zea, M and Stein, AD}, title = {Relative and absolute wealth mobility since birth in relation to health and human capital in middle adulthood: An analysis of a Guatemalan birth cohort.}, journal = {SSM - population health}, volume = {15}, number = {}, pages = {100852}, pmid = {34222609}, issn = {2352-8273}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Wealth mobility, as both relative (positional) and absolute (material) wealth acquisition, may counteract negative consequences of early life adversities on adult health.<br><br>METHODS: We use longitudinal data (1967-2018) from the INCAP birth cohort, Guatemala (n = 1386). Using wealth as a measure of socio-economic position, we assess the association of life course relative mobility using latent class analysis and absolute material gains using conditional wealth measures. We estimate associations of wealth mobility with indicators of human capital, specifically height, weight status (BMI in kg/m2), psychological distress (WHO SRQ-20 score) and fluid intelligence (Ravens Progressive Matrices score; RPM) in middle adulthood.<br><br>RESULTS: We identified four latent classes of relative mobility - Stable Low (n = 498), Stable High (n = 223), Downwardly Mobile (n = 201) and Upwardly Mobile (n = 464). Attained schooling (years) was positively associated with membership in Upwardly Mobile (odds ratio; 1.50, 95%CI: 1.31, 1.71) vs Stable Low, and inversely with membership in Downwardly Mobile (0.65, 95%CI: 0.54, 0.79) vs Stable High. Being Upwardly Mobile (vs Stable Low) was positively associated with height (1.88 cm, 95%CI: 1.04, 2.72), relative weight (1.32 kg/m2, 95%CI: 0.57, 2.07), lower psychological distress (-0.82 units, 95%CI: 1.34, -0.29) and fluid intelligence (0.94 units, 95%CI: 0.28, 1.59). Being Downwardly Mobile (vs Stable High) was associated with lower fluid intelligence (-2.69 units, 95%CI: 3.69, -1.68), and higher psychological distress (1.15 units, 95%CI: 0.34, 1.95). Absolute wealth gains (z-scores) from early to middle adulthood were positively associated with relative weight (0.62 kg/m2, 95%CI: 0.28, 0.96), lower psychological distress (-0.37 units, 95%CI: 0.60, -0.14) and fluid intelligence (0.50 units, 95%CI: 0.21, 0.79).<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Higher attained schooling provided a pathway for upward relative mobility and higher absolute wealth gains as well as protection against downward relative mobility. Upward mobility was associated with lower psychological distress and higher fluid intelligence but also higher weight status.}, }
@article {pmid34213460, year = {2020}, author = {Bhargava, A and Bhargava, M and Meher, A}, title = {Universal health coverage and tuberculosis care in India in the times of Covid-19: Aligning Ayushman Bharat (National Health Assurance Scheme) to improve case detection, reduce deaths and catastrophic health expenditure.}, journal = {The National medical journal of India}, volume = {33}, number = {5}, pages = {298-301}, doi = {10.4103/0970-258X.303111}, pmid = {34213460}, issn = {0970-258X}, mesh = {*COVID-19/epidemiology/prevention &amp; control ; Communicable Disease Control/*organization &amp; administration ; *Early Diagnosis ; Health Expenditures ; Health Services Accessibility/standards/statistics &amp; numerical data ; Health Services Needs and Demand ; *Hospitalization ; Humans ; India/epidemiology ; Mortality ; *Patient Care Management/methods/organization &amp; administration/trends ; Public Health/methods/trends ; Quality Improvement/organization &amp; administration ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Time-to-Treatment ; *Tuberculosis/diagnosis/economics/mortality/therapy ; *Universal Health Insurance ; }, abstract = {India has the largest global burden of new cases of tuberculosis (TB) and deaths due to TB. These occur predominantly in the poor who suffer catastrophic costs during diagnosis and treatment. The National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme has ambitious goals of 80% reduction of incidence of TB, 90% reduction in mortality due to TB by 2025 and 0% occurrence of catastrophic costs to households affected by TB by 2020. The Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting disruption to TB services are expected to worsen the situation. There are gaps in case finding at the peripheral level and access to care at the higher level for patients with TB. An estimated 32% patients with active TB do not access diagnostic services, while catastrophic costs associated with hospitalization are a barrier to access for seriously ill patients. Deaths due to TB in India occur largely at home and not in medical facilities, and are preventable with appropriate inpatient care. The Ayushman Bharat scheme with its Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) and coverage for inpatient care under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) can facilitate, the achievement of the goals of TB elimination. The HWCs provide an opportunity to close the case-finding gap as first point of contact by enabling sputum transport services to the designated microscopy centres. This will facilitate case detection, reduce diagnostic delays, and decrease community transmission and the incidence of TB. The benefit package of PM-JAY can cover patients with pulmonary TB, inpatient evaluation for other forms of TB, enhance the allocation for treatment and cover management of comorbid conditions such as severe undernutrition, anaemia, HIV and diabetes.}, }
@article {pmid34211049, year = {2021}, author = {Amor, N and Noman, MT and Petru, M and Mahmood, A and Ismail, A}, title = {Neural network-crow search model for the prediction of functional properties of nano TiO2 coated cotton composites.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {11}, number = {1}, pages = {13649}, pmid = {34211049}, issn = {2045-2322}, abstract = {This paper presents a new hybrid approach for the prediction of functional properties i.e., self-cleaning efficiency, antimicrobial efficiency and ultraviolet protection factor (UPF), of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) coated cotton fabric. The proposed approach is based on feedforward artificial neural network (ANN) model called a multilayer perceptron (MLP), trained by an optimized algorithm known as crow search algorithm (CSA). ANN is an effective and widely used approach for the prediction of extremely complex problems. Various studies have been proposed to improve the weight training of ANN using metaheuristic algorithms. CSA is a latest and an effective metaheuristic method relies on the intelligent behavior of crows. CSA has been never proposed to improve the weight training of ANN. Therefore, CSA is adopted to optimize the initial weights and thresholds of the ANN model, in order to improve the training accuracy and prediction performance of functional properties of TiO2 NPs coated cotton composites. Furthermore, our proposed algorithm i.e., multilayer perceptron with crow search algorithm (MLP-CSA) was applied to map out the complex input-output conditions to predict the optimal results. The amount of chemicals and reaction time were selected as input variables and the amount of titanium dioxide coated on cotton, self-cleaning efficiency, antimicrobial efficiency and UPF were evaluated as output results. A sensitivity analysis was carried out to assess the performance of CSA in prediction process. MLP-CSA provided excellent result that were statistically significant and highly accurate as compared to standard MLP model and other metaheuristic algorithms used in the training of ANN reported in the literature.}, }
@article {pmid34200875, year = {2021}, author = {Ciebiera, O and Czechowski, P and Morelli, F and Piekarski, R and Bocheński, M and Chachulska-Serweta, J and Jerzak, L}, title = {Selection of Urbanized Areas by Magpie Pica pica in a Medium Size City in Poland.}, journal = {Animals : an open access journal from MDPI}, volume = {11}, number = {6}, pages = {}, pmid = {34200875}, issn = {2076-2615}, abstract = {The Magpie Pica pica occurs all over open agricultural areas in Poland, especially near human settlements (particularly in western Poland). The aim of this study was to estimate the size of the local Magpie population and characterize, in detail, nest site selection in a medium size city Górzów Wlkp. in the XXI century. For this study, the whole city was divided into a total of 114 squares of 1 × 1 km. Data were collected in spring 2014. A total of 474 Magpie pairs were recorded. The average density was 5.5 pairs/km2 (min = 0, max = 22 nests/square), in the non-urbanized habitat type-3.7 p/km2, and in the urbanized habitat type-13.5 p/km2. Magpie nests were found most often on Spruces Picea sp. and Poplars Populus sp. The mean height of the nest site was 11.5 m, while the mean height of trees used for nesting was 13.4 m. The type of tree arrangement most frequently used for nesting was tree rows (26.3%), followed by single trees (24.6%) and clusters of 4-10 trees (20.1%). The results for the Magpie's environmental preferences do not differ from the general patterns described earlier. The study shows that magpies can adapt to changing urbanization factors, and changes in the choice of conifers help the species to adapt to highly anthropogenic habitats.}, }
@article {pmid34190650, year = {2021}, author = {Makhni, E and Lizzio, V and Chalmers, P}, title = {The Effect of the Crow Hop on Elbow Stress During an Interval Throwing Program: Response.}, journal = {The American journal of sports medicine}, volume = {49}, number = {8}, pages = {NP32-NP33}, doi = {10.1177/03635465211021402}, pmid = {34190650}, issn = {1552-3365}, mesh = {Animals ; *Baseball ; *Crows ; Elbow ; *Elbow Joint ; Humans ; }, }
@article {pmid34190645, year = {2021}, author = {Wong, R and Laudner, K and Evans, D and Meister, K}, title = {The Effect of the Crow Hop on Elbow Stress During an Interval Throwing Program: Letter to the Editor.}, journal = {The American journal of sports medicine}, volume = {49}, number = {8}, pages = {NP31-NP32}, doi = {10.1177/03635465211021409}, pmid = {34190645}, issn = {1552-3365}, mesh = {Animals ; *Baseball ; *Crows ; Elbow ; *Elbow Joint ; Humans ; }, }
@article {pmid34185776, year = {2021}, author = {Laumer, IB and Massen, JJM and Boehm, PM and Boehm, A and Geisler, A and Auersperg, AMI}, title = {Individual Goffin´s cockatoos (Cacatua goffiniana) show flexible targeted helping in a tool transfer task.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {16}, number = {6}, pages = {e0253416}, pmid = {34185776}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Cockatoos/*physiology ; *Creativity ; Female ; Learning/*physiology ; Male ; *Reward ; }, abstract = {Flexible targeted helping is considered an advanced form of prosocial behavior in hominoids, as it requires the actor to assess different situations that a conspecific may be in, and to subsequently flexibly satisfy different needs of that partner depending on the nature of those situations. So far, apart from humans such behaviour has only been experimentally shown in chimpanzees and in Eurasian jays. Recent studies highlight the prosocial tendencies of several bird species, yet flexible targeted helping remained untested, largely due to methodological issues as such tasks are generally designed around tool-use, and very few bird species are capable of tool-use. Here, we tested Goffin's cockatoos, which proved to be skilled tool innovators in captivity, in a tool transfer task in which an actor had access to four different objects/tools and a partner to one of two different apparatuses that each required one of these tools to retrieve a reward. As expected from this species, we recorded playful object transfers across all conditions. Yet, importantly and similar to apes, three out of eight birds transferred the correct tool more often in the test condition than in a condition that also featured an apparatus but no partner. Furthermore, one of these birds transferred that correct tool first more often before transferring any other object in the test condition than in the no-partner condition, while the other two cockatoos were marginally non-significantly more likely to do so. Additionally, there was no difference in the likelihood of the correct tool being transferred first for either of the two apparatuses, suggesting that these birds flexibly adjusted what to transfer based on their partner´s need. Future studies should focus on explanations for the intra-specific variation of this behaviour, and should test other parrots and other large-brained birds to see how this can be generalized across the class and to investigate the evolutionary history of this trait.}, }
@article {pmid34173817, year = {2021}, author = {Pardal, R and Heidstra, R}, title = {Root stem cell niche networks: it's complexed! Insights from Arabidopsis.}, journal = {Journal of experimental botany}, volume = {72}, number = {19}, pages = {6727-6738}, pmid = {34173817}, issn = {1460-2431}, mesh = {*Arabidopsis/metabolism ; *Arabidopsis Proteins/genetics/metabolism ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Meristem/metabolism ; Plant Roots/metabolism ; Stem Cell Niche ; }, abstract = {The presence of two meristematic cell populations in the root and shoot apex allows plants to grow indefinitely. Due to its simple and predictable tissue organization, the Arabidopsis root apical meristem remains an ideal model to study mechanisms such as stem cell specification, asymmetric cell division, and differentiation in plants. The root stem cell niche consists of a quiescent organizing centre surrounded by mitotically active stem cells, which originate all root tissues. The transcription factors PLETHORA, SCARECROW, and WOX5 form signalling hubs that integrate multiple inputs from an increasing number of proteins implicated in the regulation of stem cell niche function. Recently, locally produced auxin was added to the list of important mobile factors in the stem cell niche. In addition, protein-protein interaction data elegantly demonstrate how parallel pathways can meet in a common objective. Here we discuss how multiple networks converge to specify and maintain the root stem cell niche.}, }
@article {pmid34173069, year = {2021}, author = {Kim, S and Maleki, N and Rezaie-Balf, M and Singh, VP and Alizamir, M and Kim, NW and Lee, JT and Kisi, O}, title = {Assessment of the total organic carbon employing the different nature-inspired approaches in the Nakdong River, South Korea.}, journal = {Environmental monitoring and assessment}, volume = {193}, number = {7}, pages = {445}, pmid = {34173069}, issn = {1573-2959}, support = {20200027-001//Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology/ ; }, mesh = {Carbon ; *Environmental Monitoring ; Humans ; Republic of Korea ; *Rivers ; Water Quality ; }, abstract = {Total organic carbon (TOC) has vital significance for measuring water quality in river streamflow. The detection of TOC can be considered as an important evaluation because of issues on human health and environmental indicators. This research utilized the novel hybrid models to improve the predictive accuracy of TOC at Andong and Changnyeong stations in the Nakdong River, South Korea. A data pre-processing approach (i.e., complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise (CEEMDAN)) and evolutionary optimization algorithm (i.e., crow search algorithm (CSA)) were implemented for enhancing the accuracy and robustness of standalone models (i.e., multivariate adaptive regression spline (MARS) and M5Tree). Various water quality indicators (i.e., TOC, potential of Hydrogen (pH), electrical conductivity (EC), dissolved oxygen (DO), water temperature (WT), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and suspended solids (SS)) were utilized for developing the standalone and hybrid models based on three input combinations (i.e., categories 1~3). The developed models were evaluated utilizing the correlation coefficient (CC), root-mean-square error (RMSE), and Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE). The CEEMDAN-MARS-CSA based on category 2 (C-M-CSA2) model (CC = 0.762, RMSE = 0.570 mg/L, and NSE = 0.520) was the most accurate for predicting TOC at Andong station, whereas the CEEMDAN-MARS-CSA based on category 3 (C-M-CSA3) model (CC = 0.900, RMSE = 0.675 mg/L, and NSE = 0.680) was the best at Changnyeong station.}, }
@article {pmid34171800, year = {2021}, author = {Park, K and Barghi, M and Lim, JE and Ko, HM and Nam, HY and Lee, SI and Moon, HB}, title = {Assessment of regional and temporal trends in per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances using the Oriental Magpie (Pica serica) in Korea.}, journal = {The Science of the total environment}, volume = {793}, number = {}, pages = {148513}, doi = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148513}, pmid = {34171800}, issn = {1879-1026}, mesh = {Adult ; *Alkanesulfonic Acids/analysis ; Carboxylic Acids ; Environmental Monitoring ; *Environmental Pollutants ; Female ; *Fluorocarbons/analysis ; Humans ; Male ; Pica ; Republic of Korea ; }, abstract = {Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are used in industrial and commercial products due to their amphiphilic properties. Birds have been utilized as biomonitoring species due to their environmental pollutant vulnerability and wide distribution. The Oriental Magpie (Pica serica) is a representative residential species inhabiting terrestrial environments. In this study, we measured PFAS concentrations in Magpie liver tissue (n = 253) collected from 12 Korean regions in 2004 and 2017. The predominant compounds were perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS; mean: 23.8 ng/g wet weight), perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA; 2.79 ng/g), and perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA: 2.11 ng/g). We observed significant correlations between Magpie PFAS measurements, indicating similar sources and bioaccumulation processes. Adult females showed significantly lower PFOS concentrations than adult males and young males and females, indicating that avian sex is a crucial physiological factor of PFAS accumulation. PFOS, perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), and perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTeDA) concentrations in urban regions were significantly higher than rural regions. PFOS concentrations in Magpie livers increased significantly between sampling years, whereas C11-C13 carboxylic acids (PFCAs) decreased. This suggests that urbanization and population are major factors in Magpie PFAS accumulation. Almost all hepatic PFOS concentrations were below the threshold values proposed by previous studies, implying limited risks. Our findings suggest that the Oriental Magpies are PFAS sentinel in residential environments. This is the first comprehensive report on biomonitoring of PFASs using the Oriental Magpie.}, }
@article {pmid34166533, year = {2021}, author = {Agrawal, AA and Zhang, X}, title = {The evolution of coevolution in the study of species interactions.}, journal = {Evolution; international journal of organic evolution}, volume = {75}, number = {7}, pages = {1594-1606}, doi = {10.1111/evo.14293}, pmid = {34166533}, issn = {1558-5646}, mesh = {*Biological Evolution ; Herbivory ; Phylogeny ; Plants ; *Selection, Genetic ; }, abstract = {The study of reciprocal adaptation in interacting species has been an active and inspiring area of evolutionary research for nearly 60 years. Perhaps owing to its great natural history and potential consequences spanning population divergence to species diversification, coevolution continues to capture the imagination of biologists. Here we trace developments following Ehrlich and Raven's classic paper, with a particular focus on the modern influence of two studies by Dr. May Berenbaum in the 1980s. This series of classic work presented a compelling example exhibiting the macroevolutionary patterns predicted by Ehrlich and Raven and also formalized a microevolutionary approach to measuring selection, functional traits, and understanding reciprocal adaptation between plants and their herbivores. Following this breakthrough was a wave of research focusing on diversifying macroevolutionary patterns, mechanistic chemical ecology, and natural selection on populations within and across community types. Accordingly, we breakdown coevolutionary theory into specific hypotheses at different scales: reciprocal adaptation between populations within a community, differential coevolution among communities, lineage divergence, and phylogenetic patterns. We highlight progress as well as persistent gaps, especially the link between reciprocal adaptation and diversification.}, }
@article {pmid34159532, year = {2021}, author = {Kelly, D and Leonard, K and Gibson, B}, title = {Adaptive specialization for spatial memory does not improve route efficiency: Comparing the ability of Clark's nutcrackers (Nucifraga columbiana) and pigeons (Columba livia) to solve traveling salesperson problems.}, journal = {Psychonomic bulletin &amp; review}, volume = {28}, number = {6}, pages = {1991-2002}, pmid = {34159532}, issn = {1531-5320}, mesh = {Animals ; Cognition ; *Columbidae ; *Passeriformes ; Spatial Memory ; }, abstract = {An important question in comparative cognition is whether animals are capable of planning ahead. Todd and Hills (Current Directions in Psychological Science, 29(3), 309-315, 2020) recently suggested that the ability to plan and choose internally may have scaffolded upon the cognitive mechanisms required by animals to search among patchy resources in their external environment. The traveling salesperson problem (TSP) is a spatial optimization problem in which a traveler is faced with the task of finding the best route from a start location to two or more destinations or targets. The Clark's nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana) is a food-storing corvid with a highly specialized spatial memory. Spatial memory would appear to be deeply rooted in the cognitive mechanisms required for choosing efficiently among multiple alternative routes during a TSP. If so, then species like nutcrackers that are more dependent upon spatial memory for survival may have a greater ability to plan ahead or choose more efficiently among different route options than species that have less selective pressure for remembering the location of food, like pigeons. We examined the ability of nutcrackers to solve TSPs using the same procedures and target configurations as in our past research (Gibson, Wilkerson, &amp; Kelly, Animal Cognition, 15, 379-391, 2012) to explore if nutcrackers can efficiently solve TSPs and how their route solutions compare with those of pigeons. Nutcrackers did not display an advantage in route efficiency and performed comparably to pigeons. Both species tended to prefer a nearest-neighbor strategy to more globally efficient routes. Having a more robust spatial memory may not improve the ability of animals to determine routes to multiple locations.}, }
@article {pmid34158103, year = {2021}, author = {Wheeler, SS and Taff, CC and Reisen, WK and Townsend, AK}, title = {Mosquito blood-feeding patterns and nesting behavior of American crows, an amplifying host of West Nile virus.}, journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors}, volume = {14}, number = {1}, pages = {331}, pmid = {34158103}, issn = {1756-3305}, support = {13-2735//Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Bird Diseases/*physiopathology/virology ; Crows/blood/*physiology/*virology ; Culex/*physiology/*virology ; Feeding Behavior ; Female ; Male ; Nesting Behavior ; West Nile Fever/physiopathology/*veterinary/virology ; West Nile virus/genetics/isolation &amp; purification/*physiology ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Although American crows are a key indicator species for West Nile virus (WNV) and mount among the highest viremias reported for any host, the importance of crows in the WNV transmission cycle has been called into question because of their consistent underrepresentation in studies of Culex blood meal sources. Here, we test the hypothesis that this apparent underrepresentation could be due, in part, to underrepresentation of crow nesting habitat from mosquito sampling designs. Specifically, we examine how the likelihood of a crow blood meal changes with distance to and timing of active crow nests in a Davis, California, population.<br><br>METHODS: Sixty artificial mosquito resting sites were deployed from May to September 2014 in varying proximity to known crow nesting sites, and Culex blood meal hosts were identified by DNA barcoding. Genotypes from crow blood meals and local crows (72 nestlings from 30 broods and 389 local breeders and helpers) were used to match mosquito blood meals to specific local crows.<br><br>RESULTS: Among the 297 identified Culex blood meals, 20 (6.7%) were attributable to crows. The mean percentage of blood meals of crow origin was 19% in the nesting period (1 May-18 June 2014), but 0% in the weeks after fledging (19 June-1 September 2014), and the likelihood of a crow blood meal increased with proximity to an active nest: the odds that crows hosted a Culex blood meal were 38.07 times greater within 10 m of an active nest than > 10 m from an active nest. Nine of ten crow blood meals that could be matched to a genotype of a specific crow belonged to either nestlings in these nests or their mothers. Six of the seven genotypes that could not be attributed to sampled birds belonged to females, a sex bias likely due to mosquitoes targeting incubating or brooding females.<br><br>CONCLUSION: Data herein indicate that breeding crows serve as hosts for Culex in the initial stages of the WNV spring enzootic cycle. Given their high viremia, infected crows could thereby contribute to the re-initiation and early amplification of the virus, increasing its availability as mosquitoes shift to other moderately competent later-breeding avian hosts.}, }
@article {pmid34144393, year = {2021}, author = {Stocker, M and Prosl, J and Vanhooland, LC and Horn, L and Bugnyar, T and Canoine, V and Massen, JJM}, title = {Measuring salivary mesotocin in birds - Seasonal differences in ravens' peripheral mesotocin levels.}, journal = {Hormones and behavior}, volume = {134}, number = {}, pages = {105015}, doi = {10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.105015}, pmid = {34144393}, issn = {1095-6867}, mesh = {Animals ; Birds ; *Crows ; *Oxytocin/analogs &amp; derivatives ; Seasons ; }, abstract = {Oxytocin is involved in a broad array of social behaviours. While saliva has been used regularly to investigate the role of oxytocin in social behaviour of mammal species, so far, to our knowledge, no-one has tried to measure its homolog, mesotocin, in birds' saliva. Therefore, in this study we measured salivary mesotocin in common ravens (Corvus corax), and subsequently explored its link to three aspects of raven sociality. We trained ravens (n = 13) to voluntarily provide saliva samples and analysed salivary mesotocin with a commercial oxytocin enzyme-immunoassay kit, also suitable for mesotocin. After testing parallelism and recovery, we investigated the effect of bonding status, sex and season on mesotocin levels. We found that mesotocin was significantly more likely to be detected in samples taken during the breeding season (spring) than during the mating season (winter). In those samples in which mesotocin was detected, concentrations were also significantly higher during the breeding than during the mating season. In contrast, bonding status and sex were not found to relate to mesotocin detectability and concentrations. The seasonal differences in mesotocin correspond to behavioral patterns known to be associated with mesotocin/oxytocin, with ravens showing much more aggression during the mating season while being more tolerant of conspecifics in the breeding season. We show for the first time that saliva samples can be useful for the non-invasive determination of hormone levels in birds. However, the rate of successfully analysed samples was very low, and collection and analysis methods will benefit from further improvements.}, }
@article {pmid34141215, year = {2021}, author = {Ormrod, AEC and Doyle, FI and Lawson, KJ and Hodges, KE}, title = {Niche partitioning of avian predators in northern grasslands amended by biosolids.}, journal = {Ecology and evolution}, volume = {11}, number = {11}, pages = {6248-6259}, pmid = {34141215}, issn = {2045-7758}, abstract = {Many food webs are affected by bottom-up nutrient addition, as additional biomass or productivity at a given trophic level can support more consumers. In turn, when prey are abundant, predators may converge on the same diets rather than partitioning food resources. Here, we examine the diets and habitat use of predatory and omnivorous birds in response to biosolids amendment of northern grasslands used as grazing range for cattle in British Columbia, Canada. From an ecosystem management perspective, we test whether dietary convergence occurred and whether birds preferentially used the pastures with biosolids. Biosolids treatments increased Orthoptera densities and our work occurred during a vole (Microtus spp.) population peak, so both types of prey were abundant. American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) consumed both small mammals and Orthoptera. Short-eared Owls (Asio flammeus) and Long-eared owls (Asio otus) primarily ate voles (>97% of biomass consumed) as did Northern Harriers (Circus hudsonius, 88% vole biomass). Despite high dietary overlap, these species had minimal spatial overlap, and Short-eared Owls strongly preferred pastures amended with biosolids. Common Ravens (Corvus corax), Black-billed Magpies (Pica hudsonia), and American Crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) consumed Orthoptera, Coleoptera, vegetation, and only a few small mammals; crows avoided pastures with biosolids. Thus, when both insect and mammalian prey were abundant, corvids maintained omnivorous diets, whereas owls and Harriers specialized on voles. Spatial patterns were more complex, as birds were likely responding to prey abundance, vegetation structure, and other birds in this consumer guild.}, }
@article {pmid34137635, year = {2021}, author = {Sarker, S and Nath, BK and Talukder, S and Raidal, SR}, title = {Complete Mitochondrial Genome Sequence of the Magpie-Lark (Grallina cyanoleuca).}, journal = {Microbiology resource announcements}, volume = {10}, number = {24}, pages = {e0034221}, pmid = {34137635}, issn = {2576-098X}, abstract = {Here, we report the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of an Australian passerine bird, magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca). The circular genome has a size of 16,933 bp and contains 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, and 2 rRNA genes. This study provides a reference mitochondrial genome of magpie-lark for further molecular studies.}, }
@article {pmid34127940, year = {2020}, author = {Kwon, JH and Lee, DH and Criado, MF and Killmaster, L and Ali, MZ and Giasuddin, M and Samad, MA and Karim, MR and Hasan, M and Brum, E and Nasrin, T and Swayne, DE}, title = {Genetic evolution and transmission dynamics of clade 2.3.2.1a highly pathogenic avian influenza A/H5N1 viruses in Bangladesh.}, journal = {Virus evolution}, volume = {6}, number = {2}, pages = {veaa046}, pmid = {34127940}, issn = {2057-1577}, abstract = {Asian lineage A/H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) have been responsible for continuous outbreaks in Bangladesh since 2007. Although clades 2.2.2 and 2.3.4.2 HPAIVs have disappeared since poultry vaccination was introduced in 2012, clade 2.3.2.1a viruses have continued to be detected in Bangladesh. In this study, we identified A/H9N2 (n = 15), A/H5N1 (n = 19), and A/H5N1-A/H9N2 (n = 18) mixed viruses from live bird markets, chicken farms, and wild house crows (Corvus splendens) in Bangladesh from 2016 to 2018. We analyzed the genetic sequences of the H5 HPAIVs, to better understand the evolutionary history of clade 2.3.2.1a viruses in Bangladesh. Although seven HA genetic subgroups (B1-B7) and six genotypes (G1, G1.1, G1.2, G2, G2.1, and G2.2) have been identified in Bangladesh, only subgroup B7 and genotypes G2, G2.1, and G2.2 were detected after 2016. The replacement of G1 genotype by G2 in Bangladesh was possibly due to vaccination and viral competition in duck populations. Initially, genetic diversity decreased after introduction of vaccination in 2012, but in 2015, genetic diversity increased and was associated with the emergence of genotype G2. Our phylodynamic analysis suggests that domestic Anseriformes, including ducks and geese, may have played a major role in persistence, spread, evolution, and genotype replacement of clade 2.3.2.1a HPAIVs in Bangladesh. Thus, improvements in biosecurity and monitoring of domestic Anseriformes are needed for more effective control of HPAI in Bangladesh.}, }
@article {pmid34117940, year = {2021}, author = {King, DI and Jeffery, M and Bailey, BA}, title = {Generating indicator species for bird monitoring within the humid forests of northeast Central America.}, journal = {Environmental monitoring and assessment}, volume = {193}, number = {7}, pages = {413}, pmid = {34117940}, issn = {1573-2959}, mesh = {Animals ; Belize ; Biodiversity ; *Birds ; Central America ; Ecosystem ; *Environmental Monitoring ; Forests ; Humans ; }, abstract = {The use of indicator species can simplify bird monitoring by reducing the level of specialized skills needed, which increases the potential pool of participants and reduces training costs and complexity. To facilitate monitoring in the humid forests of northeast Central America, we conducted point count surveys for birds across gradients of disturbance in the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, Belize, and analyzed the association of bird species with remotely sensed metrics of forest condition and anthropogenic disturbance using indicator species analysis. Twenty species exhibited significant associations with one or more of these metrics. We propose six species as indicators for anthropogenic disturbance based on our criteria of being associated with anthropogenically disturbed sites, or anthropogenically disturbed and riparian sites with no explicit mention in the literature of an obligate association with riparian habitats, or association of remotely sensed metrics that appeared to reflect disturbance: yellow-olive flycatcher, red-legged honeycreeper, dusky antbird, blue ground dove, buff-throated saltator, and brown jay. We propose the keel-billed motmot as an indicator of undisturbed forest based on its association with forested sites in our analyses. Green shrike vireo, collard trogon, rufous-tailed jacamar, and rufous piha were associated with a specific elevational range but not associated with disturbance, so upward shifts in elevation that might indicate response to climate change would not be confounded with habitat disturbance or degradation. This exercise yielded a much-reduced list of monitoring targets, which will greatly reduce the cost and complexity of forest bird monitoring in the region, as well as reducing barriers to participation.}, }
@article {pmid34104076, year = {2022}, author = {Burfurd, I and Wilkening, T}, title = {Cognitive heterogeneity and complex belief elicitation.}, journal = {Experimental economics}, volume = {25}, number = {2}, pages = {557-592}, doi = {10.1007/s10683-021-09722-x}, pmid = {34104076}, issn = {1386-4157}, abstract = {The Stochastic Becker-DeGroot-Marschak (SBDM) mechanism is a theoretically elegant way of eliciting incentive-compatible beliefs under a variety of risk preferences. However, the mechanism is complex and there is concern that some participants may misunderstand its incentive properties. We use a two-part design to evaluate the relationship between participants' probabilistic reasoning skills, task complexity, and belief elicitation. We first identify participants whose decision-making is consistent and inconsistent with probabilistic reasoning using a task in which non-Bayesian modes of decision-making lead to violations of stochastic dominance. We then elicit participants' beliefs in both easy and hard decision problems. Relative to Introspection, there is less variation in belief errors between easy and hard problems in the SBDM mechanism. However, there is a greater difference in belief errors between consistent and inconsistent participants. These results suggest that while the SBDM mechanism encourages individuals to think more carefully about beliefs, it is more sensitive to heterogeneity in probabilistic reasoning. In a follow-up experiment, we also identify participants with high and low fluid intelligence with a Raven task, and high and low proclivities for cognitive effort using an extended Cognitive Reflection Test. Although performance on these tasks strongly predict errors in both the SBDM mechanism and Introspection, there is no significant interaction effect between the elicitation mechanism and either ability or effort. Our results suggest that mechanism complexity is an important consideration when using elicitation mechanisms, and that participants' probabilistic reasoning is an important consideration when interpreting elicited beliefs.}, }
@article {pmid34093700, year = {2021}, author = {Jia, YH and Qiu, J and Ma, ZZ and Li, FF}, title = {A Novel Crow Swarm Optimization Algorithm (CSO) Coupling Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Crow Search Algorithm (CSA).}, journal = {Computational intelligence and neuroscience}, volume = {2021}, number = {}, pages = {6686826}, pmid = {34093700}, issn = {1687-5273}, mesh = {Algorithms ; Animals ; Benchmarking ; *Crows ; Humans ; }, abstract = {The balance between exploitation and exploration essentially determines the performance of a population-based optimization algorithm, which is also a big challenge in algorithm design. Particle swarm optimization (PSO) has strong ability in exploitation, but is relatively weak in exploration, while crow search algorithm (CSA) is characterized by simplicity and more randomness. This study proposes a new crow swarm optimization algorithm coupling PSO and CSA, which provides the individuals the possibility of exploring the unknown regions under the guidance of another random individual. The proposed CSO algorithm is tested on several benchmark functions, including both unimodal and multimodal problems with different variable dimensions. The performance of the proposed CSO is evaluated by the optimization efficiency, the global search ability, and the robustness to parameter settings, all of which are improved to a great extent compared with either PSO and CSA, as the proposed CSO combines the advantages of PSO in exploitation and that of CSA in exploration, especially for complex high-dimensional problems.}, }
@article {pmid34090340, year = {2021}, author = {Guiglielmoni, N and Houtain, A and Derzelle, A and Van Doninck, K and Flot, JF}, title = {Overcoming uncollapsed haplotypes in long-read assemblies of non-model organisms.}, journal = {BMC bioinformatics}, volume = {22}, number = {1}, pages = {303}, pmid = {34090340}, issn = {1471-2105}, support = {764840//H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions/ ; }, mesh = {Genome ; *Genomics ; Haplotypes ; *High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Long-read sequencing is revolutionizing genome assembly: as PacBio and Nanopore technologies become more accessible in technicity and in cost, long-read assemblers flourish and are starting to deliver chromosome-level assemblies. However, these long reads are usually error-prone, making the generation of a haploid reference out of a diploid genome a difficult enterprise. Failure to properly collapse haplotypes results in fragmented and structurally incorrect assemblies and wreaks havoc on orthology inference pipelines, yet this serious issue is rarely acknowledged and dealt with in genomic projects, and an independent, comparative benchmark of the capacity of assemblers and post-processing tools to properly collapse or purge haplotypes is still lacking.<br><br>RESULTS: We tested different assembly strategies on the genome of the rotifer Adineta vaga, a non-model organism for which high coverages of both PacBio and Nanopore reads were available. The assemblers we tested (Canu, Flye, NextDenovo, Ra, Raven, Shasta and wtdbg2) exhibited strikingly different behaviors when dealing with highly heterozygous regions, resulting in variable amounts of uncollapsed haplotypes. Filtering reads generally improved haploid assemblies, and we also benchmarked three post-processing tools aimed at detecting and purging uncollapsed haplotypes in long-read assemblies: HaploMerger2, purge_haplotigs and purge_dups.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: We provide a thorough evaluation of popular assemblers on a non-model eukaryote genome with variable levels of heterozygosity. Our study highlights several strategies using pre and post-processing approaches to generate haploid assemblies with high continuity and completeness. This benchmark will help users to improve haploid assemblies of non-model organisms, and evaluate the quality of their own assemblies.}, }
@article {pmid34086914, year = {2021}, author = {Freeman, NE and Norris, DR and Sutton, AO and Strickland, D and Kyser, TK and Newman, AEM}, title = {Early-Life Corticosterone Body Condition Influence Social Status and Survival in a Food-Caching Passerine.}, journal = {Integrative and comparative biology}, volume = {61}, number = {1}, pages = {9-19}, doi = {10.1093/icb/icab038}, pmid = {34086914}, issn = {1557-7023}, mesh = {Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; *Corticosterone ; Feathers ; Social Behavior ; *Songbirds/physiology ; }, abstract = {Individuals undergo profound changes throughout their early life as they grow and transition between life-history stages. As a result, the conditions that individuals experience during development can have both immediate and lasting effects on their physiology, behavior, and, ultimately, fitness. In a population of Canada jays in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, we characterized the diet composition and physiological profile of young jays at three key time points during development (nestling, pre-fledge, and pre-dispersal) by quantifying stable-carbon (δ13C) and -nitrogen (δ15N) isotopes and corticosterone concentrations in feathers. We then investigated the downstream effects of early-life diet composition, feather corticosterone, and environmental conditions on a juvenile's social status, body condition, and probability of being observed in the fall following hatch. Across the three time points, the diet of Canada jay young was composed primarily of vertebrate tissue and human food with the proportion of these food items increasing as the jays neared dispersal. Feather corticosterone concentrations also shifted across the three time points, decreasing from nestling to pre-dispersal. Dominant juveniles had elevated corticosterone concentrations in their feathers grown pre-dispersal compared with subordinates. High body condition as nestlings was associated with high body condition as juveniles and an increased probability of being observed in the fall. Together, our results demonstrate that nestling physiology and body condition influence the social status and body condition once individuals are independent, with potential long-term consequences on survival and fitness.}, }
@article {pmid34086153, year = {2021}, author = {Kovalev, SY and Yakimenko, VV}, title = {Kama virus (KAMV) is an atypical representative of the seabird tick-borne flaviviruses.}, journal = {Virus genes}, volume = {57}, number = {4}, pages = {395-399}, pmid = {34086153}, issn = {1572-994X}, mesh = {Animals ; Antigens, Viral/genetics ; Birds ; Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne/*genetics/pathogenicity ; Flavivirus/*genetics/pathogenicity ; Flavivirus Infections/*genetics/pathology/virology ; Genome, Viral/*genetics ; Humans ; Ixodes/genetics/virology ; Nucleic Acid Conformation ; }, abstract = {According to modern classification, tick-borne flaviviruses have been divided into a mammalian tick-borne virus group and a seabird tick-borne virus group (STBVG). The STBVG includes the Tyuleniy virus, Meaban virus, Saumarez Reef virus, and the recently discovered Kama virus (KAMV). The latter was isolated from Ixodes lividus, an obligate parasitic tick of the sand martin (Riparia riparia), in 1989 in the central part of the Russian Plain. In 2014, based on molecular genetic analysis, it was shown that KAMV is a new virus belonging to STBVG, genus Flavivirus, fam. Flaviviridae. Very little is known about the Kama virus concerning its range, vectors, and reservoir hosts. GenBank contains a single sequence of the complete genome of this virus. In the present study, the complete genome sequences of two strains, isolated in 1983 in the Omsk region (Western Siberia) from gamasid mites in the nests of rooks (Corvus frugilegus), have been determined. Phylogenetic analyses of their genomes showed a close relationship both with each other (approx. 98.9% nucleotide identity) and with KAMV isolated in European Russia (approx. 98.4% nucleotide identity). The ecological features of KAMV that are due to the species of the vector (gamasid mites) and its hosts (colonial birds of the mainland of Eurasia) indicate that KAMV is an atypical representative STBVG.}, }
@article {pmid34082829, year = {2021}, author = {Chakarov, N and Veiga, J and Ruiz-Arrondo, I and Valera, F}, title = {Atypical behavior of a black fly species connects cavity-nesting birds with generalist blood parasites in an arid area of Spain.}, journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors}, volume = {14}, number = {1}, pages = {298}, pmid = {34082829}, issn = {1756-3305}, support = {CGL2014-55969//Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades/ ; BES-2015-075951//Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades/ ; PGC2018-097426-B-C22//Agencia Estatal de Investigación (ES)/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Bird Diseases/*blood/etiology/*parasitology ; Blood ; Desert Climate ; *Feeding Behavior ; Female ; Insect Vectors/anatomy &amp; histology/genetics/*parasitology/physiology ; Meals ; Nesting Behavior ; Phylogeny ; Simuliidae/anatomy &amp; histology/genetics/*parasitology/physiology ; Spain ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: The feeding behavior of bloodsucking insects determines the transmission, distribution, host spectrum and evolution of blood parasites in the wild. Conventional wisdom suggests that some vector groups (e.g. black flies, family Simuliidae) are consistently exophagous daytime biters. We aimed to understand more about the exceptions to this pattern by combining targeted trapping and molecular identification of parasites in vectors.<br><br>METHODS: In this study, we collected black flies in nest boxes used by European rollers Coracias garrulus in southeastern Spain. We molecularly analyzed 434 individual insects, identifying the black fly species caught in the nest boxes, their potential vertebrate blood meals, and the haemosporidian parasite lineages that they carried.<br><br>RESULTS: Only one black fly species, Simulium rubzovianum, appeared to enter the nest boxes of rollers. Among the trapped specimens, 15% contained vertebrate DNA, which always belonged to rollers, even though only half of those specimens were visibly engorged. Furthermore, 15% of all black flies contained Leucocytozoon lineages, indicating previous feeding on avian hosts but probably not on infected adult rollers. The known vertebrate hosts of the recorded Leucocytozoon lineages suggested that large and/or abundant birds are their hosts. Particularly represented were cavity-nesting species breeding in the vicinity, such as pigeons, corvids and owls. Open-nesting species such as thrushes and birds of prey were also represented.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our data strongly suggest that S. rubzovianum bites uninfected roller nestlings and infected individuals of other species, potentially incubating adults, inside nest boxes and natural cavities. This simuliid does not appear to have a strong preference for specific host clades. Contrary to the general pattern for the group, and possibly enhanced by the harsh environmental conditions in the study area, this black fly appeared to intensively use and may even have a preference for confined spaces such as cavities for feeding and resting. Preferences of vectors for atypical microhabitat niches where hosts are less mobile may enable social and within-family transmission and parasite speciation in the long term. At the same time, a lack of host preference in concentrated multispecies communities can lead to host switches. Both processes may be underappreciated driving forces in the evolution of avian blood parasites.}, }
@article {pmid34081496, year = {2021}, author = {Vernouillet, A and Leonard, K and Katz, JS and Magnotti, JF and Wright, A and Kelly, DM}, title = {Abstract-concept learning in two species of new world corvids, pinyon jays (Gymnorhinus Cyanocephalus) and California scrub jays (Aphelocoma Californica).}, journal = {Journal of experimental psychology. Animal learning and cognition}, volume = {47}, number = {3}, pages = {384-392}, doi = {10.1037/xan0000283}, pmid = {34081496}, issn = {2329-8464}, support = {//Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council/ ; //Canada Research Chair fund/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Birds ; *Concept Formation ; *Learning ; }, abstract = {concepts require individuals to identify relationships between novel stimuli. Previous studies have reported that the ability to learn abstract concepts is found in a wide range of species. In regard to a same/different concept, Clark's nutcrackers (Nucifraga columbiana) and black-billed magpies (Pica hudsonia), two corvid species, were shown to outperform other avian and primate species (Wright et al., 2017). Two additional corvid species, pinyon jays (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus) and California scrub jays (Aphelocoma californica) chosen as they belong to a different clade than nutcrackers and magpies, were examined using the same set-size expansion procedure of the same/different task (the task used with nutcrackers and magpies) to evaluate whether this trait is common across the Corvidae lineage. During this task, concept learning is assessed with novel images after training. Results from the current study showed that when presented with novel stimuli after training with an 8-image set, discrimination accuracy did not differ significantly from chance for pinyon jays and California scrub jays, unlike the magpies and nutcrackers from previous studies that showed partial transfer at that stage. However, concept learning improved with each set-size expansion, and the jays reached full concept learning with a 128-image set. This performance is similar to the other corvids and monkeys tested, all of which outperform pigeons. Results from the current study show a qualitative similarity in full abstract-concept learning in all species tested with a quantitative difference in the set-size functions, highlighting the shared survival importance of mechanisms supporting abstract-concept learning for corvids and primates. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).}, }
@article {pmid34080508, year = {2022}, author = {Saleh, G and Ahmed, A and Hassanain, O and Emad, A and Essameldin, S and Ragai, M and Saad, Y}, title = {Nutrition in Cancer Patients Positive for COVID-19; Case Series and a Systematic Review of Literature.}, journal = {Nutrition and cancer}, volume = {74}, number = {2}, pages = {450-462}, doi = {10.1080/01635581.2021.1931363}, pmid = {34080508}, issn = {1532-7914}, mesh = {Adult ; *COVID-19 ; Humans ; Male ; *Neoplasms/complications ; Pandemics ; RNA, Viral ; SARS-CoV-2 ; }, abstract = {Cancer is making patients vulnerable to diseases by impairing immunity directly or by anticancer therapy. In COVID-19 era, it is mandatory to face cancer with more organized &amp; prompter response. Nutrition plays an important role in prevention &amp; management of cancer patients. The objective of this study is to understand the role of nutrition in cancer patients during Corvid 19 era. We conducted literature searches till May 2020, electronic databases, evidence-based collections, relevant websites and trial registries about SARS-CoV2/COVID-19 and nutrition in cancer patients. Search generated 836 sources; 83/836 sources were relevant. This review summarized role of nutrition in predisposition, prevention and management of COVID-19 in cancer patient and role of vitamins, mineral supplements and microbiota in era of COVID-19. In this review, implementing appropriate nutritional care with vitamins or mineral supplementation &amp; their effect on outcome remain largely unknown. COVID co-infection with cancer whether under chemotherapy or not have worse outcome especially in male adults. Findings may help in creating recommendations on nutritional protocol of management &amp; prevention of complications during ongoing COVID-19 pandemic for all cancer patients.}, }
@article {pmid34077293, year = {2021}, author = {Walker, MA and Uribasterra, M and Asher, V and Getz, WM and Ryan, SJ and Ponciano, JM and Blackburn, JK}, title = {Anthrax Surveillance and the Limited Overlap Between Obligate Scavengers and Endemic Anthrax Zones in the United States.}, journal = {Vector borne and zoonotic diseases (Larchmont, N.Y.)}, volume = {21}, number = {9}, pages = {675-684}, pmid = {34077293}, issn = {1557-7759}, support = {R01 GM117617/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Anthrax/epidemiology/veterinary ; *Bacillus anthracis ; Ecosystem ; *Falconiformes ; United States/epidemiology ; Zoonoses ; }, abstract = {Anthrax is a zoonosis caused by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis, with potential for high fatality rate, especially in herbivores. Upon host death, spores can enter the soil surrounding the carcass and be ingested by other animals feeding in the same location. Accordingly, surveillance to quickly identify and decontaminate anthrax carcasses is crucial to outbreak prevention. In endemic anthrax areas such as Texas and Africa, vultures are used as a surveillance tool for identifying presence and location of dead animals. However, many anthrax outbreaks in the United States have occurred in areas outside the ranges of both black and turkey vultures. Here, we used a longitudinal camera trap survey at carcass sites in southwestern Montana to investigate the utility of facultative avian scavengers on disease and carcass surveillance in a reemerging anthrax risk zone. From August 2016 to September 2018, camera traps at 11 carcass sites were triggered 1996 times by avian scavengers. While the majority were facultative avian scavengers such as corvids and eagles, our results suggest that facultative scavengers cannot replace vultures as a surveillance tool in this ecosystem due to their absence during the anthrax risk period (June to August), reduced search efficiency, or low flight patterns. We found that the conditions in Montana likely parallel systems elsewhere in the continental United States. Using ecological niche models of B. anthracis distribution overlaid with relative abundance maps of turkey vultures, we found that much of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Nebraska, and Iowa have areas of anthrax risk, but low or absent turkey vulture populations. Without vultures in these areas, surveillance capacity is reduced, and it becomes more difficult to identify anthrax cases, meaning fewer carcasses are decontaminated, and consequently, outbreaks could become more frequent or severe.}, }
@article {pmid34074798, year = {2021}, author = {Garcia-Pelegrin, E and Schnell, AK and Wilkins, C and Clayton, NS}, title = {Exploring the perceptual inabilities of Eurasian jays (Garrulus glandarius) using magic effects.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {118}, number = {24}, pages = {}, pmid = {34074798}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Adult ; Animals ; Choice Behavior ; Female ; Hand ; Humans ; *Magic ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Passeriformes/*physiology ; Perception/*physiology ; Young Adult ; }, abstract = {In recent years, scientists have begun to use magic effects to investigate the blind spots in our attention and perception [G. Kuhn, Experiencing the Impossible: The Science of Magic (2019); S. Macknik, S. Martinez-Conde, S. Blakeslee, Sleights of Mind: What the Neuroscience of Magic Reveals about Our Everyday Deceptions (2010)]. Recently, we suggested that similar techniques could be transferred to nonhuman animal observers and that such an endeavor would provide insight into the inherent commonalities and discrepancies in attention and perception in human and nonhuman animals [E. Garcia-Pelegrin, A. K. Schnell, C. Wilkins, N. S. Clayton, Science 369, 1424-1426 (2020)]. Here, we performed three different magic effects (palming, French drop, and fast pass) to a sample of six Eurasian jays (Garrulus glandarius). These magic effects were specifically chosen as they utilize different cues and expectations that mislead the spectator into thinking one object has or has not been transferred from one hand to the other. Results from palming and French drop experiments suggest that Eurasian jays have different expectations from humans when observing some of these effects. Specifically, Eurasian jays were not deceived by effects that required them to expect an object to move between hands when observing human hand manipulations. However, similar to humans, Eurasian jays were misled by magic effects that utilize fast movements as a deceptive action. This study investigates how another taxon perceives the magician's techniques of deception that commonly deceive humans.}, }
@article {pmid34073851, year = {2021}, author = {Horn, L and Zewald, JS and Bugnyar, T and Massen, JJM}, title = {Carrion Crows and Azure-Winged Magpies Show No Prosocial Tendencies When Tested in a Token Transfer Paradigm.}, journal = {Animals : an open access journal from MDPI}, volume = {11}, number = {6}, pages = {}, pmid = {34073851}, issn = {2076-2615}, support = {Marie Jahoda grant//Universität Wien/ ; Higher Education Traineeship//Erasmus+/ ; P26806//Austrian Science Fund/ ; Y366-B17//Austrian Science Fund/ ; W1234-G17//Austrian Science Fund/ ; }, abstract = {To study the evolution of humans' cooperative nature, researchers have recently sought comparisons with other species. Studies investigating corvids, for example, showed that carrion crows and azure-winged magpies delivered food to group members when tested in naturalistic or simple experimental paradigms. Here, we investigated whether we could replicate these positive findings when testing the same two species in a token transfer paradigm. After training the birds to exchange tokens with an experimenter for food rewards, we tested whether they would also transfer tokens to other birds, when they did not have the opportunity to exchange the tokens themselves. To control for the effects of motivation, and of social or stimulus enhancement, we tested each individual in three additional control conditions. We witnessed very few attempts and/or successful token transfers, and those few instances did not occur more frequently in the test condition than in the controls, which would suggest that the birds lack prosocial tendencies. Alternatively, we propose that this absence of prosociality may stem from the artificial nature and cognitive complexity of the token transfer task. Consequently, our findings highlight the strong impact of methodology on animals' capability to exhibit prosocial tendencies and stress the importance of comparing multiple experimental paradigms.}, }
@article {pmid34062633, year = {2021}, author = {Jasim, M and Brindha, T}, title = {Spinal cord segmentation and injury detection using a Crow Search-Rider optimization algorithm.}, journal = {Biomedizinische Technik. Biomedical engineering}, volume = {66}, number = {3}, pages = {293-304}, doi = {10.1515/bmt-2019-0180}, pmid = {34062633}, issn = {1862-278X}, mesh = {Algorithms ; Animals ; Crows ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/methods ; Neural Networks, Computer ; Spinal Cord/*physiology ; Spinal Cord Injuries/*physiopathology ; }, abstract = {The damage in the spinal cord due to vertebral fractures may result in loss of sensation and muscle function either permanently or temporarily. The neurological condition of the patient can be improved only with the early detection and the treatment of the injury in the spinal cord. This paper proposes a spinal cord segmentation and injury detection system based on the proposed Crow search-Rider Optimization-based DCNN (CS-ROA DCNN) method, which can detect the injury in the spinal cord in an effective manner. Initially, the segmentation of the CT image of the spinal cord is performed using the adaptive thresholding method, followed by which the localization of the disc is performed using the Sparse FCM clustering algorithm (Sparse-FCM). The localized discs are subjected to a feature extraction process, where the features necessary for the classification process are extracted. The classification process is done using DCNN trained using the proposed CS-ROA, which is the integration of the Crow Search Algorithm (CSA) and Rider Optimization Algorithm (ROA). The experimentation is performed using the evaluation metrics, such as accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. The proposed method achieved the high accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 0.874, 0.8961, and 0.8828, respectively that shows the effectiveness of the proposed CS-ROA DCNN method in spinal cord injury detection.}, }
@article {pmid34061249, year = {2021}, author = {Layton-Matthews, K and Griesser, M and Coste, CFD and Ozgul, A}, title = {Forest management affects seasonal source-sink dynamics in a territorial, group-living bird.}, journal = {Oecologia}, volume = {196}, number = {2}, pages = {399-412}, pmid = {34061249}, issn = {1432-1939}, support = {PPOOP3_123520; PPOOP3_123520//Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (CH)/ ; 31BD30_172465//ERA-NET BiodivERsA/ ; 665778//Narodowe Centrum Nauki/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Conservation of Natural Resources ; *Ecosystem ; Forestry ; Forests ; Humans ; *Passeriformes ; Population Dynamics ; Seasons ; }, abstract = {The persistence of wildlife populations is under threat as a consequence of human activities, which are degrading natural ecosystems. Commercial forestry is the greatest threat to biodiversity in boreal forests. Forestry practices have degraded most available habitat, threatening the persistence of natural populations. Understanding population responses is, therefore, critical for their conservation. Population viability analyses are effective tools to predict population persistence under forestry management. However, quantifying the mechanisms driving population responses is complex as population dynamics vary temporally and spatially. Metapopulation dynamics are governed by local dynamics and spatial factors, potentially mediating the impacts of forestry e.g., through dispersal. Here, we performed a seasonal, spatially explicit population viability analysis, using long-term data from a group-living territorial bird (Siberian jay, Perisoreus infaustus). We quantified the effects of forest management on metapopulation dynamics, via forest type-specific demography and spatially explicit dispersal, and how forestry impacted the stability of metapopulation dynamics. Forestry reduced metapopulation growth and stability, through negative effects on reproduction and survival. Territories in higher quality natural forest contributed more to metapopulation dynamics than managed forests, largely through demographic processes rather than dispersal. Metapopulation dynamics in managed forest were also less resilient to disturbances and consequently, may be more vulnerable to environmental change. Seasonal differences in source-sink dynamics observed in managed forest, but not natural forests, were caused by associated seasonal differences in dispersal. As shown here, capturing seasonal source-sink dynamics allows us to predict population persistence under human disturbance and to provide targeted conservation recommendations.}, }
@article {pmid34049884, year = {2021}, author = {Cunha, FCR and Griesser, M}, title = {Who do you trust? Wild birds use social knowledge to avoid being deceived.}, journal = {Science advances}, volume = {7}, number = {22}, pages = {}, pmid = {34049884}, issn = {2375-2548}, abstract = {Many species give deceptive warning calls, enabled by the high risk of ignoring them. In Siberian jays, a territorial, group-living bird, individuals give warning calls toward perched predators and mob them. However, intruding neighbors can emit these warning calls in the absence of predators to access food, but breeders often ignore these calls. Playback field experiments show that breeders flee sooner and return later after warning calls of former group members than those of neighbors or unknown individuals. Thus, breeders respond appropriately only to warning calls of previous cooperation partners. This mechanism facilitates the evolution and maintenance of communication vulnerable to deceptive signaling. This conclusion also applies to human language because of its cooperative nature and thus, its vulnerability to deception.}, }
@article {pmid34043664, year = {2021}, author = {Joseph, J and Sankar D, H and Nambiar, D}, title = {Empanelment of health care facilities under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) in India.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {16}, number = {5}, pages = {e0251814}, pmid = {34043664}, issn = {1932-6203}, support = {/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Cross-Sectional Studies ; Health Facilities/*economics/supply &amp; distribution ; Health Services/*economics/supply &amp; distribution ; Health Services Accessibility/organization &amp; administration ; Hospitals, Private/organization &amp; administration ; Hospitals, Public/organization &amp; administration ; Humans ; India ; Public Health/*methods ; Universal Health Insurance/*organization &amp; administration ; }, abstract = {INTRODUCTION: India's Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) is the world's largest health assurance scheme providing health cover of 500,000 INR (about USD 6,800) per family per year. It provides financial support for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization expenses to about 500 million of India's poorest households through various insurance models with care delivered by public and private empanelled providers. This study undertook to describe the provider empanelment of PM-JAY, a key element of its functioning and determinant of its impact.<br><br>METHODS: We carried out secondary analysis of cross-sectional administrative program data publicly available in PM-JAY portal for 30 Indian states and 06 UTs. We analysed the state wise distribution, type and sector of empanelled hospitals and services offered through PM-JAY scheme across all the states and UTs.<br><br>RESULTS: We found that out of the total facilities empanelled (N = 20,257) under the scheme in 2020, more than half (N = 11,367, 56%) were in the public sector, while 8,157 (40%) facilities were private for profit, and 733 (4%) were private not for profit entities. State wise distribution of hospitals showed that five states (Karnataka (N = 2,996, 14.9%), Gujarat (N = 2,672, 13.3%), Uttar Pradesh (N = 2,627, 13%), Tamil Nadu (N = 2315, 11.5%) and Rajasthan (N = 2,093 facilities, 10.4%) contributed to more than 60% of empanelled PMJAY facilities: We also observed that 40% of facilities were offering between two and five specialties while 14% of empanelled hospitals provided 21-24 specialties.<br><br>CONCLUSION: A majority of the hospital empanelled under the scheme are in states with previous experience of implementing publicly funded health insurance schemes, with the exception of Uttar Pradesh. Reasons underlying these patterns of empanelment as well as the impact of empanelment on service access, utilisation, population health and financial risk protection warrant further study. While the inclusion and regulation of the private sector is a goal that may be served by empanelment, the role of public sector remains critical, particularly in underserved areas of India.}, }
@article {pmid34013520, year = {2021}, author = {Fielding, MW and Buettel, JC and Brook, BW and Stojanovic, D and Yates, LA}, title = {Roadkill islands: Carnivore extinction shifts seasonal use of roadside carrion by generalist avian scavenger.}, journal = {The Journal of animal ecology}, volume = {90}, number = {10}, pages = {2268-2276}, doi = {10.1111/1365-2656.13532}, pmid = {34013520}, issn = {1365-2656}, mesh = {Animals ; Bayes Theorem ; *Carnivora ; *Ecosystem ; Food Chain ; Islands ; Seasons ; }, abstract = {Global road networks facilitate habitat modification and are integral to human expansion. Many animals, particularly scavengers, use roads as they provide a reliable source of food, such as carrion left after vehicle collisions. Tasmania is often cited as the 'roadkill capital of Australia', with the isolated offshore islands in the Bass Strait experiencing similar, if not higher, levels of roadkill. However, native mammalian predators on the islands are extirpated, meaning the remaining scavengers are likely to experience lower interference competition. In this study, we used a naturally occurring experiment to examine how the loss of mammalian carnivores within a community impacts roadside foraging behaviour by avian scavengers. We monitored the locations of roadkill and forest ravens Corvus tasmanicus, an abundant scavenger species, on eight road transects across the Tasmanian mainland (high scavenging competition) and the Bass Strait islands (low scavenging competition). We represented raven observations as one-dimensional point patterns, using hierarchical Bayesian models to investigate the dependence of raven spatial intensity on habitat, season, distance to roadkill and route location. We found that roadkill carcasses were a strong predictor of raven presence along road networks. The effect of roadkill was amplified on roads on the Bass Strait islands, where roadside carrion was a predictor of raven presence across the entire year. In contrast, ravens were more often associated with roadkill on Tasmanian mainland roads in the autumn, when other resources were low. This suggests that in the absence of competing mammalian scavengers, ravens choose to feed on roadside carrion throughout the year, even in seasons when other resources are available. This lack of competition could be disproportionately benefiting forest ravens, leading to augmented raven populations and changes to the vertebrate community structure. Our study provides evidence that scavengers modify their behaviour in response to reduced scavenger species diversity, potentially triggering trophic shifts and highlighting the importance of conserving or reintroducing carnivores within ecosystems.}, }
@article {pmid34010354, year = {2021}, author = {Mantey, AA and Annan, RA and Lutterodt, HE and Twumasi, P}, title = {Iron status predicts cognitive test performance of primary school children from Kumasi, Ghana.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {16}, number = {5}, pages = {e0251335}, pmid = {34010354}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Anemia, Iron-Deficiency/blood/epidemiology/psychology ; Child ; Cognition/*physiology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diet ; Female ; Ferritins/blood ; Ghana/epidemiology ; Hemoglobins/metabolism ; Humans ; Iron/*blood ; Iron Deficiencies ; Male ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Nutritional Status ; Schools ; Social Class ; Urban Population ; Zinc/blood ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Good nutritional status of school-aged children is crucial in achieving improved cognition. The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between nutritional status and cognition of school-aged children in the Kumasi metropolis, Ghana.<br><br>METHODS: 389 children were selected from ten government-owned schools. Socio-demographic and anthropometric data were collected. Blood samples were collected and analyzed for nutrients levels. Dietary intakes were assessed using food frequency questionnaire and previous day's nutrients intake. Cognition test was performed using the Ravens Colored Progressive Matrix (RCPM).<br><br>RESULTS: Mean age of participants was 8.9±1.4 years, mean RCPM score was 17.9±5.4. More girls scored RCPM below the 40th percentile (45.5%) than boys (33.7%), while mother's level of education significantly associated with RCPM percentiles of the children (p = 0.037). Four dietary patterns were generated from food frequency data, and scores of the second pattern, depicting vegetables, non-fruits, bread and cereals, showed a weak negative correlation (r = -0.132, p = 0.026) with previous day's dietary zinc intake. Cognitive status did not vary by anthropometric and dietary patterns. More anemic (54.4%) than non-anemic (33.3%) children were below the 40th RCPM percentile. Mean previous day's intake for folate (p<0.001), vitamin B6 (p = 0.018), iron (p<0.001), and zinc (p = 0.001) differed significantly between the cognitive test score percentiles of the children. Spearman rank correlation showed weak positive associations between RCPM score and hemoglobin (r = 0.246, p = 0.003) and serum ferritin (r = 0.176, p = 0.036). Binary regression analysis showed anemic children (aOR = 0.4; 95%CI = 0.2-0.8, p = 0.014), compared with non-anemic had decreased odds, while boys, compared with girls had increased odds (aOR = 2.0 95%CI = 1.0-4.0, p = 0.035) for scoring above the 50th RCPM percentile.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Iron status, especially hemoglobin levels, correlated with the cognitive performance of school-aged children in the metropolis. Thus nutritional strategies aimed at reducing iron deficiency anemia are needed.}, }
@article {pmid34010302, year = {2021}, author = {Bladon, AJ and Donald, PF and Collar, NJ and Denge, J and Dadacha, G and Wondafrash, M and Green, RE}, title = {Climatic change and extinction risk of two globally threatened Ethiopian endemic bird species.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {16}, number = {5}, pages = {e0249633}, pmid = {34010302}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animal Distribution ; Animals ; *Climate Change ; Crows/*physiology ; Ecosystem ; Endangered Species/*trends ; Ethiopia ; Models, Statistical ; Swallows/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Climate change is having profound effects on the distributions of species globally. Trait-based assessments predict that specialist and range-restricted species are among those most likely to be at risk of extinction from such changes. Understanding individual species' responses to climate change is therefore critical for informing conservation planning. We use an established Species Distribution Modelling (SDM) protocol to describe the curious range-restriction of the globally threatened White-tailed Swallow (Hirundo megaensis) to a small area in southern Ethiopia. We find that, across a range of modelling approaches, the distribution of this species is well described by two climatic variables, maximum temperature and dry season precipitation. These same two variables have been previously found to limit the distribution of the unrelated but closely sympatric Ethiopian Bush-crow (Zavattariornis stresemanni). We project the future climatic suitability for both species under a range of climate scenarios and modelling approaches. Both species are at severe risk of extinction within the next half century, as the climate in 68-84% (for the swallow) and 90-100% (for the bush-crow) of their current ranges is predicted to become unsuitable. Intensive conservation measures, such as assisted migration and captive-breeding, may be the only options available to safeguard these two species. Their projected disappearance in the wild offers an opportunity to test the reliability of SDMs for predicting the fate of wild species. Monitoring future changes in the distribution and abundance of the bush-crow is particularly tractable because its nests are conspicuous and visible over large distances.}, }
@article {pmid33999415, year = {2021}, author = {Hancock, ZB and Lehmberg, ES and Bradburd, GS}, title = {Neo-darwinism still haunts evolutionary theory: A modern perspective on Charlesworth, Lande, and Slatkin (1982).}, journal = {Evolution; international journal of organic evolution}, volume = {75}, number = {6}, pages = {1244-1255}, pmid = {33999415}, issn = {1558-5646}, support = {R35 GM137919/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {*Biological Evolution ; Biology/*history ; History, 20th Century ; Models, Biological ; Phylogeny ; *Selection, Genetic ; }, abstract = {The Modern Synthesis (or "Neo-Darwinism"), which arose out of the reconciliation of Darwin's theory of natural selection and Mendel's research on genetics, remains the foundation of evolutionary theory. However, since its inception, it has been a lightning rod for criticism, which has ranged from minor quibbles to complete dismissal. Among the most famous of the critics was Stephen Jay Gould, who, in 1980, proclaimed that the Modern Synthesis was "effectively dead." Gould and others claimed that the action of natural selection on random mutations was insufficient on its own to explain patterns of macroevolutionary diversity and divergence, and that new processes were required to explain findings from the fossil record. In 1982, Charlesworth, Lande, and Slatkin published a response to this critique in Evolution, in which they argued that Neo-Darwinism was indeed sufficient to explain macroevolutionary patterns. In this Perspective for the 75th Anniversary of the Society for the Study of Evolution, we review Charlesworth et al. in its historical context and provide modern support for their arguments. We emphasize the importance of microevolutionary processes in the study of macroevolutionary patterns. Ultimately, we conclude that punctuated equilibrium did not represent a major revolution in evolutionary biology - although debate on this point stimulated significant research and furthered the field - and that Neo-Darwinism is alive and well.}, }
@article {pmid33995180, year = {2021}, author = {Strößner, C}, title = {Default Inheritance in Modified Statements: Bias or Inference?.}, journal = {Frontiers in psychology}, volume = {12}, number = {}, pages = {626023}, pmid = {33995180}, issn = {1664-1078}, abstract = {It is a fact that human subjects rate sentences about typical properties such as "Ravens are black" as very likely to be true. In comparison, modified sentences such as "Feathered ravens are black" receive lower ratings, especially if the modifier is atypical for the noun, as in "Jungle ravens are black". This is called the modifier effect. However, the likelihood of the unmodified statement influences the perceived likelihood of the modified statement: the higher the rated likelihood of the unmodified sentence, the higher the rated likelihood of the modified one. That means the modifier effect does not fully block default inheritance of typical properties from nouns to modified nouns. This paper discusses this inheritance effect. In particular, I ask whether it is the direct result of composing concepts from nouns, that is, a bias toward "black" when processing "raven". I report a series of experiments in which I find no evidence for a direct inheritance from composition. This supports the view that default inheritance is rather an inference than a bias.}, }
@article {pmid33989896, year = {2021}, author = {Sharma, S and Singh, G and Sharma, M}, title = {A comprehensive review and analysis of supervised-learning and soft computing techniques for stress diagnosis in humans.}, journal = {Computers in biology and medicine}, volume = {134}, number = {}, pages = {104450}, doi = {10.1016/j.compbiomed.2021.104450}, pmid = {33989896}, issn = {1879-0534}, mesh = {Algorithms ; *Artificial Intelligence ; Bayes Theorem ; Fuzzy Logic ; Humans ; *Neural Networks, Computer ; }, abstract = {Stress is the most prevailing and global psychological condition that inevitably disrupts the mood and behavior of individuals. Chronic stress may gravely affect the physical, mental, and social behavior of victims and consequently induce myriad critical human disorders. Herein, a review has been presented where supervised learning (SL) and soft computing (SC) techniques used in stress diagnosis have been meticulously investigated to highlight the contributions, strengths, and challenges faced in the implementation of these methods in stress diagnostic models. A three-tier review strategy comprising of manuscript selection, data synthesis, and data analysis was adopted. The issues in SL strategies and the potential possibility of using hybrid techniques in stress diagnosis have been intensively investigated. The strengths and weaknesses of different SL (Bayesian classifier, random forest, support vector machine, and nearest neighbours) and SC (fuzzy logic, nature-inspired, and deep learning) techniques have been presented to obtain clear insights into these optimization strategies. The effects of social, behavioral, and biological stresses have been highlighted. The psychological, biological, and behavioral responses to stress have also been briefly elucidated. The findings of the study confirmed that different types of data/signals (related to skin temperature, electro-dermal activity, blood circulation, heart rate, facial expressions, etc.) have been used in stress diagnosis. Moreover, there is a potential scope for using distinct nature-inspired computing techniques (Genetic Algorithm, Particle Swarm Optimization, Ant Colony Optimization, Whale Optimization Algorithm, Butterfly Optimization, Harris Hawks Optimizer, and Crow Search Algorithm) and deep learning techniques (Deep-Belief Network, Convolutional-Neural Network, and Recurrent-Neural Network) on multimodal data compiled using behavioral testing, electroencephalogram signals, finger temperature, respiration rate, pupil diameter, galvanic-skin-response, and blood pressure. Likewise, there is a wider scope to investigate the use of SL and SC techniques in stress diagnosis using distinct dimensions such as sentiment analysis, speech recognition, handwriting recognition, and facial expressions. Finally, a hybrid model based on distinct computational methods influenced by both SL and SC techniques, adaption, parameter tuning, and the use of chaos, levy, and Gaussian distribution may address exploration and exploitation issues. However, factors such as real-time data collection, bias, integrity, multi-dimensional data, and data privacy make it challenging to design precise and innovative stress diagnostic systems based on artificial intelligence.}, }
@article {pmid33984600, year = {2021}, author = {Garcia-Barrios, J and Drysdale, M and Ratelle, M and Gaudreau, É and LeBlanc, A and Gamberg, M and Laird, BD}, title = {Biomarkers of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Sub-Arctic and Arctic communities in Canada.}, journal = {International journal of hygiene and environmental health}, volume = {235}, number = {}, pages = {113754}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijheh.2021.113754}, pmid = {33984600}, issn = {1618-131X}, mesh = {*Alkanesulfonic Acids ; Biological Monitoring ; Biomarkers ; Canada ; *Environmental Pollutants ; Female ; *Fluorocarbons/analysis ; Humans ; Male ; }, abstract = {Polyfluoroalkyl substances and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a family of anthropogenic chemicals that are used in food packaging, waterproof clothing, and firefighting foams for their water and oil resistant properties. Though levels of some PFAS appear to be decreasing in Canada's south, environmental levels have been increasing in the Arctic due to long-range transport. However, the implications of this on human exposures in sub-Arctic and Arctic populations in Canada have yet to be established. To address this data gap, human biomonitoring research was completed in Old Crow, Yukon, and the Dehcho region, Northwest Territories. Blood samples were collected from adults residing in seven northern First Nations and were analyzed by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. A total of nine PFAS were quantified: perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulphonic acid (PFOS), perfluorohexane sulphonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), and perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUdA), perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA), perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), and perfluorobutane sulphonic acid (PFBS). In the Dehcho (n = 124), five PFAS had a detection rate greater than 50% including PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS, PFNA, and PFDA. In addition to these PFAS, PFUdA was also detected in at least half of the samples collected in Old Crow (n = 54). Generally, male participants had higher concentrations of PFAS compared to female participants, and PFAS concentrations tended to increase with age. For most PFAS, Old Crow and Dehcho levels were similar or lower to those measured in the general Canadian population (as measured through the Canadian Health Measures Survey or CHMS) and other First Nations populations in Canada (as measured through the First Nations Biomonitoring Initiative or FNBI). The key exception to this was for PFNA which, relative to the CHMS (0.51 μg/L), was approximately 1.8 times higher in Old Crow (0.94 μg/L) and 2.8 times higher in Dehcho (1.42 μg/L) than observed in the general Canadian population. This project provides baseline PFAS levels for participating communities, improving understanding of human exposures to PFAS in Canada. Future research should investigate site-specific PFNA exposure sources and monitor temporal trends in these regions.}, }
@article {pmid33940610, year = {2021}, author = {Rassi, MS and Al-Mefty, O}, title = {Surgical Treatment of Bilateral Optic Nerve Sheath Meningioma: 2-Dimensional Operative Video.}, journal = {Operative neurosurgery (Hagerstown, Md.)}, volume = {20}, number = {6}, pages = {E418-E419}, doi = {10.1093/ons/opab052}, pmid = {33940610}, issn = {2332-4260}, mesh = {Female ; Humans ; *Meningioma/diagnostic imaging/radiotherapy/surgery ; Optic Nerve/diagnostic imaging/surgery ; *Optic Nerve Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging/radiotherapy/surgery ; Treatment Outcome ; Vision Disorders/etiology ; }, abstract = {Even though intracranial meningiomas commonly invade the optic canals, true optic nerve sheath meningiomas are extremely rare. They are insidious lesions that frequently grow in 4 stages, leading to progressive visual loss.1-4 Frequently, management includes observation for asymptomatic patients, and fractioned stereotactic radiotherapy with progressive visual loss.1,3 However, surgery is avoided due to the risk of perioperative visual loss.2-4 However, many of these cases present in the early stage of tumor growth, where an arachnoidal plane is still present, and vision can be saved by microsurgical tumor resection.2 Here we present the case of a 33-yr-old female presenting with a 3-wk history of blurred vision. Neuroimaging depicted an enhancing lesion along both optic nerves consistent with bilateral optic nerve sheath meningioma. Neuroophthalmological examination showed inferior cut of visual field bilaterally, more extensive on the left eye. Acuity was 20/20 on both eyes. Microsurgical resection of the tumor was performed through left supraorbital craniotomy, with the goal of eliminating intracranial extension and stabilizing visual function.5 The optic canal was unroofed with diamond bit drill under copious irrigation. A remarkable improvement of her visual field was observed with maintenance of acuity at 20/20 on follow-up. As the patient is attempting pregnancy, she is closely monitored without radiation. Surgery can be offered as a primary treatment of optic nerve sheath meningiomas, especially in early stages, with likely preservation and, in some cases, improvement of visual function.6 The patient consented to the procedure and the use of image. Images at 1:46 and 3:48 reprinted from Al-Mefty O, Operative Atlas of Meningiomas. 1998: Raven Press; Philadelphia, PA, with permission from LWW. Image at 2:57 reprinted from Rassi et al2; © Anil Can, 2018, used with permission. Image at 9:27 in public domain/age.}, }
@article {pmid33935888, year = {2021}, author = {Parishar, P and Mohapatra, AN and Iyengar, S}, title = {Investigating Behavioral Responses to Mirrors and the Mark Test in Adult Male Zebra Finches and House Crows.}, journal = {Frontiers in psychology}, volume = {12}, number = {}, pages = {637850}, pmid = {33935888}, issn = {1664-1078}, abstract = {Earlier evidence suggests that besides humans, some species of mammals and birds demonstrate visual self-recognition, assessed by the controversial "mark" test. Whereas, there are high levels of inter-individual differences amongst a single species, some species such as macaques and pigeons which do not spontaneously demonstrate mirror self-recognition (MSR) can be trained to do so. We were surprised to discover that despite being widely used as a model system for avian research, the performance of zebra finches (Taenopygia guttata) on the mark test had not been studied earlier. Additionally, we studied the behavioral responses of another species of passerine songbirds (Indian house crows; Corvus splendens) to a mirror and the MSR mark test. Although a small number of adult male zebra finches appeared to display heightened responses toward the mark while observing their reflections, we could not rule out the possibility that these were a part of general grooming rather than specific to the mark. Furthermore, none of the house crows demonstrated mark-directed behavior or increased self-exploratory behaviors when facing mirrors. Our study suggests that self-directed behaviors need to be tested more rigorously in adult male zebra finches while facing their reflections and these findings need to be replicated in a larger population, given the high degree of variability in mirror-directed behaviors.}, }
@article {pmid33935569, year = {2021}, author = {Galal, TM and Abu Alhmad, MF and Al-Yasi, HM}, title = {Nutrient sequestration potential of water primrose Ludwigia stolinefera (Guill. &amp; Perr.) P.H. Raven: A strategy for restoring wetland eutrophication.}, journal = {Saudi journal of biological sciences}, volume = {28}, number = {4}, pages = {2438-2446}, pmid = {33935569}, issn = {1319-562X}, abstract = {The current work investigates the capacity of the water primrose (Ludwigia stolinefera) to sequester inorganic and organic nutrients in its biomass to restore eutrophic wetlands, besides its nutritive quality as fodder for animals. The nutrient elements and nutritive value of the water primrose were assessed seasonally in polluted and unpolluted watercourses. The water primrose plants' highest biomass was attained during summer; then, it was significantly reduced till it reached its lowest value during winter. In the polluted canal, the plant root and shoot accumulated higher contents of all nutrient elements (except Na and Mg) rather than in the unpolluted Nile. They accumulated most investigated nutrients in the growing season during summer. The shoots accumulated higher contents of N, P, Ca, and Mg than the root, which accumulated higher concentrations of Na and K. Therefore, summer season is the ideal time to harvest water primrose for removing the maximum nutrients for restoring eutrophic watercourses. The aboveground tissues had the highest values of ether extract (EE) during spring and the highest crude fibers (CF) and total proteins (TP) during summer. In contrast, the belowground tissues had the lowest EE, CF, and TP during winter. In spring, autumn, and winter seasons, the protein content in the grazeable parts (shoots) of the water primrose was within the range, while in summer, it was higher than the minimum requirement for the maintenance of animals. There was a decrease in crude fibers and total proteins, while an increase in soluble carbohydrates content in the below- and above-ground tissues of water primrose under pollution stress. The total protein, lipids, and crude fibers of the aboveground parts of water primrose support this plant as a rough forage.}, }
@article {pmid33926813, year = {2021}, author = {Nieder, A}, title = {The Evolutionary History of Brains for Numbers.}, journal = {Trends in cognitive sciences}, volume = {25}, number = {7}, pages = {608-621}, doi = {10.1016/j.tics.2021.03.012}, pmid = {33926813}, issn = {1879-307X}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; *Brain ; Cognition ; *Telencephalon ; }, abstract = {Humans and other animals share a number sense', an intuitive understanding of countable quantities. Having evolved independent from one another for hundreds of millions of years, the brains of these diverse species, including monkeys, crows, zebrafishes, bees, and squids, differ radically. However, in all vertebrates investigated, the pallium of the telencephalon has been implicated in number processing. This suggests that properties of the telencephalon make it ideally suited to host number representations that evolved by convergent evolution as a result of common selection pressures. In addition, promising candidate regions in the brains of invertebrates, such as insects, spiders, and cephalopods, can be identified, opening the possibility of even deeper commonalities for number sense.}, }
@article {pmid33917545, year = {2021}, author = {Kvapil, P and Račnik, J and Kastelic, M and Bártová, E and Korva, M and Jelovšek, M and Avšič-Županc, T}, title = {A Sentinel Serological Study in Selected Zoo Animals to Assess Early Detection of West Nile and Usutu Virus Circulation in Slovenia.}, journal = {Viruses}, volume = {13}, number = {4}, pages = {}, pmid = {33917545}, issn = {1999-4915}, mesh = {Animals ; Animals, Zoo/classification/*virology ; Antibodies, Neutralizing/blood ; Antibodies, Viral/*blood ; Female ; Flavivirus/*immunology ; Flavivirus Infections/blood/*diagnosis/epidemiology/immunology ; Male ; Slovenia/epidemiology ; West Nile Fever/blood/*diagnosis/epidemiology/immunology ; West Nile virus/*immunology ; }, abstract = {Monitoring infectious diseases is a crucial part of preventive veterinary medicine in zoological collections. This zoo environment contains a great variety of animal species that are in contact with wildlife species as a potential source of infectious diseases. Wild birds may be a source of West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu (USUV) virus, which are both emerging pathogens of rising concern. The aim of this study was to use zoo animals as sentinels for the early detection of WNV and USUV in Slovenia. In total, 501 sera from 261 animals of 84 animal species (including birds, rodents, lagomorphs, carnivores, ungulates, reptiles, equids, and primates) collected for 17 years (2002-2018) were tested for antibodies to WNV and USUV. Antibodies to WNV were detected by indirect immunofluorescence tests in 16 (6.1%) of 261 animals representing 10 species, which were sampled prior to the first active cases of WNV described in 2018 in Slovenia in humans, a horse, and a hooded crow (Corvus cornix). Antibodies to USUV were detected in 14 out of 261 animals tested (5.4%) that were positive prior to the first positive cases of USUV infection in common blackbirds (Turdus merula) in Slovenia. The study illustrates the value of zoological collections as a predictor of future emerging diseases.}, }
@article {pmid33917146, year = {2021}, author = {Shrader-Frechette, K and Biondo, AM}, title = {Health Misinformation about Toxic-Site Harm: The Case for Independent-Party Testing to Confirm Safety.}, journal = {International journal of environmental research and public health}, volume = {18}, number = {8}, pages = {}, pmid = {33917146}, issn = {1660-4601}, mesh = {*Air Pollutants/analysis ; *Air Pollution, Indoor/analysis ; Child ; Communication ; Environmental Monitoring ; *Environmental Restoration and Remediation ; Gases ; Humans ; Soil ; *Volatile Organic Compounds/analysis ; }, abstract = {Health misinformation can cause harm if regulators or private remediators falsely claim that a hazardous facility is safe. This misinformation especially threatens the health of children, minorities, and poor people, disproportionate numbers of whom live near toxic facilities. Yet, perhaps because of financial incentives, private remediators may use safety misinformation to justify reduced cleanup. Such incentives exist in nations like the United States, where most toxic-site testing/remediation is semi-privatized or voluntary, conducted by private parties, commercial redevelopers, who can increase profits by underestimating health harm, thus decreasing required testing/remediation. Our objective is to begin to determine whether or not interested parties misrepresent health harm (at hazardous facilities that they test/remediate/redevelop) when they use traditional and social media to claim that these sites are safe. Our hypothesis is that, contrary to the safety claims of the world's largest commercial developer, Coldwell Banker Real Estate/Trammell Crow (CBRE/TCC), the authors' screening assessment, especially its lab-certified, toxic-site, indoor-air tests, show violations of all three prominent government, cancer-safety benchmarks. If so, these facilities require additional testing/remediation, likely put site renters at risk, and may reveal problems with privatized hazardous cleanup. To our knowledge, we provide the first independent tests of privatized, toxic-site assessments before cancer reports occur. Our screening assessment of this hypothesis tests indoor air in rental units on a prominent former weapons-testing site (the US Naval Ordnance Testing Station, Pasadena, California (NOTSPA) that is subject to carcinogenic vapor intrusion by volatile organic compounds, VOCs), then compares test results to the redeveloper's site-safety claims, made to government officials and citizens through traditional and social media. Although NOTSPA toxic soil-gas concentrations are up to nearly a million times above allowed levels, and indoor air was never tested until now, both the regulator and the remediator (CBRE/TCC) have repeatedly claimed on social media that "the site is safe at this time." We used mainly Method TO-17 and two-week sampling with passive, sorbent tubes to assess indoor-air VOCs. Our results show that VOC levels at every location sampled-all in occupied site-rental units-violate all three government-mandated safety benchmarks: environmental screening levels (ESLs), No Significant Risk Levels (NSRLs), and inhalation risks based on the Inhalation Unit Risk (IUR); some violations are two orders of magnitude above multiple safety benchmarks. These results support our hypothesis and suggest a need for independent assessment of privatized cleanups and media-enhanced safety claims about them. If our results can be replicated at other sites, then preventing health misinformation and toxic-facility safety threats may require new strategies, one of which we outline.}, }
@article {pmid33916633, year = {2021}, author = {Athanasakopoulou, Z and Reinicke, M and Diezel, C and Sofia, M and Chatzopoulos, DC and Braun, SD and Reissig, A and Spyrou, V and Monecke, S and Ehricht, R and Tsilipounidaki, K and Giannakopoulos, A and Petinaki, E and Billinis, C}, title = {Antimicrobial Resistance Genes in ESBL-Producing Escherichia coli Isolates from Animals in Greece.}, journal = {Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)}, volume = {10}, number = {4}, pages = {}, pmid = {33916633}, issn = {2079-6382}, support = {T2DGE-0944 and 01EI1701//The European Union and the General Secretariat for Research and Innovation, Ministry of Development &amp; Investments (GR) and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (DE)/ ; }, abstract = {The prevalence of multidrug resistant, extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae is increasing worldwide. The present study aimed to provide an overview of the multidrug resistance phenotype and genotype of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) isolates of livestock and wild bird origin in Greece. Nineteen phenotypically confirmed ESBL-producing E. coli strains isolated from fecal samples of cattle (n = 7), pigs (n = 11) and a Eurasian magpie that presented resistance to at least one class of non β-lactam antibiotics, were selected and genotypically characterized. A DNA-microarray based assay was used, which allows the detection of various genes associated with antimicrobial resistance. All isolates harbored blaCTX-M-1/15, while blaTEM was co-detected in 13 of them. The AmpC gene blaMIR was additionally detected in one strain. Resistance genes were also reported for aminoglycosides in all 19 isolates, for quinolones in 6, for sulfonamides in 17, for trimethoprim in 14, and for macrolides in 8. The intI1 and/or tnpISEcp1 genes, associated with mobile genetic elements, were identified in all but two isolates. This report describes the first detection of multidrug resistance genes among ESBL-producing E. coli strains retrieved from feces of cattle, pigs, and a wild bird in Greece, underlining their dissemination in diverse ecosystems and emphasizing the need for a One-Health approach when addressing the issue of antimicrobial resistance.}, }
@article {pmid33910774, year = {2021}, author = {Kwon, JH and Criado, MF and Killmaster, L and Ali, MZ and Giasuddin, M and Samad, MA and Karim, MR and Brum, E and Hasan, MZ and Lee, DH and Spackman, E and Swayne, DE}, title = {Efficacy of two vaccines against recent emergent antigenic variants of clade 2.3.2.1a highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses in Bangladesh.}, journal = {Vaccine}, volume = {39}, number = {21}, pages = {2824-2832}, doi = {10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.04.022}, pmid = {33910774}, issn = {1873-2518}, mesh = {Animals ; Bangladesh/epidemiology ; Chickens ; Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus/genetics ; *Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype ; *Influenza Vaccines ; *Influenza in Birds/prevention &amp; control ; }, abstract = {H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) have caused outbreaks in poultry in Bangladesh since 2007. While clade 2.2.2 and 2.3.4.2 HPAIVs have not been detected since 2012, clade 2.3.2.1a viruses have caused continuous outbreaks since 2012 despite the use of vaccines. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of two H5 vaccines licensed in Bangladesh, RE-6 inactivated vaccine, and a recombinant herpesvirus of turkeys vaccine with an H5 insert (rHVT-H5), for protection against recent field viruses in chickens. We selected three viruses for efficacy tests (A/chicken/Bangladesh/NRL-AI-3237/2017, A/crow/Bangladesh/NRL-AI-8471/2017 and A/chicken/Bangladesh/NRL-AI-8323/2017) from 36 H5 viruses isolated from Bangladesh between 2016 and 2018 by comparing the amino acid sequences at five antigenic sites (A-E) and analyzing hemagglutination inhibition (HI) titers with reference antisera. The RE-6 and rHVT-H5 vaccines both conferred 80-100% clinical protection (i.e. reduced morbidity and mortality) against the three challenge viruses with no significant differences in protection. In addition, both vaccines significantly decreased viral shedding from infected chickens as compared to challenge control chickens. Based on these metrics, the current licensed H5 vaccines protected chickens against the recent field viruses. However, the A/crow/Bangladesh/NRL-AI-8471/2017 virus exhibited antigenic divergence including: several unique amino acid changes in antigenic epitope sites A and B and was a serological outlier in cross HI tests as visualized on the antigenic map. The continuing emergence of such antigenic variants which could alter the dominant antigenicity of field viruses should be continuously monitored and vaccines should be updated if field efficacy declines.}, }
@article {pmid33892586, year = {2021}, author = {Iemmi, T and Menozzi, A and Basini, G and Grasselli, F and Grolli, S and Ramoni, R and Serventi, P and Quintavalla, F and Bertini, S}, title = {Evaluation of Oxidative Stress in Blood of Domestic Chickens and Eurasian Magpies (Pica pica).}, journal = {Journal of avian medicine and surgery}, volume = {35}, number = {1}, pages = {28-36}, doi = {10.1647/1082-6742-35.1.28}, pmid = {33892586}, issn = {1082-6742}, mesh = {Animals ; Antioxidants ; *Chickens ; Female ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; Oxidative Stress ; *Pica ; }, abstract = {A physiological equilibrium exists between pro- and antioxidant factors. When the oxidant factors exceed the capacity of their removal or inactivation, oxidative stress (OS) occurs. The OS levels were assayed in plasma obtained from 2 bird species. Blood samples were collected from 20 healthy domestic chicken hens, 10 living in an intensive farming environment and 10 free-range, and from 18 healthy Eurasian magpies (Pica pica; 7 females and 11 males, with an estimated age of >1 year of age). For OS biomarker assessment, the determinable reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROMs) were measured, and the plasmatic antioxidant test (PAT) was performed; the OS index (OSI) was then calculated (d-ROMs/PAT × 1000) as a parameter of overall oxidative stress. Moreover, lipid peroxidation was assessed by measuring plasmatic malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. A hematological evaluation was also performed on each bird with a hemocytometer, on which a blood sample was placed to obtain both a total and differential white blood cell (WBC) count. In hens, OSI and MDA levels were significantly higher (P = .04, and P = .004) in subjects from intensive farming (14.7 ± 7.1 and 27.2 ± 10.4 nmol/mL) than in those bred in rural conditions (5.6 ± 10.3 and 8.2 ± 13.3 nmol/mL). In magpies, a positive correlation between the total WBC count and OS was found, and both d-ROMs and OSI were significantly higher (P = .03) in subjects with a total WBC count greater than the median value (20.4 × 103 cells/µL) with respect to those with a total WBC count less than the median value. The results generated from this study indicate that higher OS levels occurred in hens bred in an intensive indoor farm environment compared with outdoor free-range conditions. Possibly the higher OS levels could be related to the higher stocking density and dust levels found in the indoor facility. Additionally, the correlation between OS biomarker levels in magpies and total WBC count suggests that OS level is influenced by immune response, in agreement with previous studies. Collectively, present data seem to be promising for the application of OS measurement in avian medicine for health and animal welfare monitoring.}, }
@article {pmid33879528, year = {2021}, author = {Choksey, L}, title = {Environmental racialisation and poetics of influence in the postgenomic era: fire, soil, spirit.}, journal = {Medical humanities}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, pmid = {33879528}, issn = {1473-4265}, support = {/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; }, abstract = {This article considers processes of environmental racialisation in the postgenomic era through their politics of difference and poetics of influence. Subfields like epigenetics promise to account for a plurality of possible influences on health outcomes. While this appears to present possibilities for historical reparation to communities whose epigenomes may have been chronically altered by histories of violence and trauma, the prevailing trend has been to compound processes of racialisation in the reproduction of good/bad environments. The postgenomic era has promised an epistemological transformation of ideas and values of human life, but its practices, technologies and ideology have so far prevented this. Epigenetics, rather, reproduces biomedical exclusions through imaginaries of embodied contexts, methods of occlusion and hypervisibility, and assignations of delay and deviance. This is more complex than both genetic reductionism and environmental racism: studies on epigenetics reveal a poetics of influence at work under liberal humanism complicit in the creation of death-worlds for racialised populations. Other experiments with life are possible and unfolding: Jay Bernard's poem 'Chemical', set in the aftermath of London's Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, unmoors its bodies from material environment, offering a spectral configuration of collective life. This configuration involves negotiating with the fixing of time and space on which genomic imaginaries depend.}, }
@article {pmid33878441, year = {2021}, author = {Sharma, MS}, title = {Commentary: The Crow and the Pitcher - Necessity is the Mother of Invention for Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Reconstruction.}, journal = {Seminars in thoracic and cardiovascular surgery}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1053/j.semtcvs.2021.03.020}, pmid = {33878441}, issn = {1532-9488}, }
@article {pmid33875573, year = {2021}, author = {Kirschhock, ME and Ditz, HM and Nieder, A}, title = {Behavioral and Neuronal Representation of Numerosity Zero in the Crow.}, journal = {The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience}, volume = {41}, number = {22}, pages = {4889-4896}, pmid = {33875573}, issn = {1529-2401}, mesh = {Animals ; Cognition/*physiology ; Crows ; Male ; *Mathematical Concepts ; Neurons/physiology ; Telencephalon/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Different species of animals can discriminate numerosity, the countable number of objects in a set. The representations of countable numerosities have been deciphered down to the level of single neurons. However, despite its importance for human number theory, a special numerical quantity, the empty set (numerosity zero), has remained largely unexplored. We explored the behavioral and neuronal representation of the empty set in carrion crows. Crows were trained to discriminate small numerosities including the empty set. Performance data showed a numerical distance effect for the empty set in one crow, suggesting that the empty set and countable numerosities are represented along the crows' "mental number line." Single-cell recordings in the endbrain region nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL) showed a considerable proportion of NCL neurons tuned to the preferred numerosity zero. As evidenced by neuronal distance and size effects, NCL neurons integrated the empty set in the neural number line. A subsequent neuronal population analysis using a statistical classifier approach showed that the neuronal numerical representations were predictive of the crows' success in the task. These behavioral and neuronal data suggests that the conception of the empty set as a cognitive precursor of a zero-like number concept is not an exclusive property of the cerebral cortex of primates. Zero as a quantitative category cannot only be implemented in the layered neocortex of primates, but also in the anatomically distinct endbrain circuitries of birds that evolved based on convergent evolution.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The conception of "nothing" as number "zero" is celebrated as one of the greatest achievements in mathematics. To explore whether precursors of zero-like concepts can be found in vertebrates with a cerebrum that anatomically differs starkly from our primate brain, we investigated this in carrion crows. We show that crows can grasp the empty set as a null numerical quantity that is mentally represented next to number one. Moreover, we show that single neurons in an associative avian cerebral region specifically respond to the empty set and show the same physiological characteristics as for countable quantities. This suggests that zero as a quantitative category can also be implemented in the anatomically distinct endbrain circuitries of birds that evolved based on convergent evolution.}, }
@article {pmid33865988, year = {2021}, author = {Yang, R and Brice, B and Berto, BP and Ryan, U}, title = {Morphological and molecular description of a new species of Isospora (Apicomplexa) from a New Holland honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae).}, journal = {Parasitology international}, volume = {83}, number = {}, pages = {102348}, doi = {10.1016/j.parint.2021.102348}, pmid = {33865988}, issn = {1873-0329}, mesh = {Animals ; Bird Diseases/*epidemiology/parasitology ; Isospora/*classification/cytology/genetics ; Isosporiasis/epidemiology/parasitology/*veterinary ; Phylogeny ; Prevalence ; Protozoan Proteins/analysis ; *Songbirds ; Western Australia/epidemiology ; }, abstract = {A new Isospora species is described from New Holland honeyeaters (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae). Sporulated oocysts (n = 25) were characterised as subspheroidal, 29-32 × 28-31 (29.8 × 29.4); length/width (L/W) ratio 1.01-1.02 (1.01). Wall bi-layered, 1.3-1.6 (1.5) thick, outer layer smooth, c.2/3 of total thickness. Micropyle and oocyst residuum absent, but usually two polar granules are present. Sporocysts (n = 25) ovoidal, 18-19 × 12-14 (18.4 × 12.3); L/W ratio 1.42-1.53 (1.50). Stieda body present, flattened, c.0.5 deep × 2.5 wide; sub-Stieda present, rounded, c.2.5 deep × 3.5 wide; para-Stieda body absent; sporocyst residuum present, usually a distinctly irregular body consisting of numerous small granules that appear to be membrane-bound. Sporozoites vermiform, with robust anterior and posterior refractile bodies. Molecular characterization was conducted at the 18S and 28S ribosomal RNA and the mitochondrial (mt) cytochrome oxidase (COI) loci. Phylogenetic analysis of genomic 18S and mt COI sequences indicated that Isospora phylidonyrisae n. sp. was genetically similar to Isospora coronoideae, isolated from an Australian raven (Corvus coronoides) in Western Australia, with a 99.3% and 98.4% homology, respectively. The 28S rRNA sequence was most similar to Isospora anthochaerae (KF766053) and Isospora manorinae (KT224381), both with a 98.2% genetic similarity. Based on morphological and genetic data, this isolate is a new species of Isospora, which is named Isospora phylidonyrisae n. sp. after its host.}, }
@article {pmid33833029, year = {2021}, author = {Zaręba-Marchewka, K and Szymańska-Czerwińska, M and Niemczuk, K}, title = {Draft Genome Sequences of Avian Chlamydia abortus Genotype G2 Strain 15-49d3, Isolated from Mallard, and Genotype 1V Strain 15-58d44, Isolated from Magpie in Poland.}, journal = {Microbiology resource announcements}, volume = {10}, number = {14}, pages = {}, pmid = {33833029}, issn = {2576-098X}, abstract = {Here, we report the draft genome sequences of avian Chlamydia abortus genotype G2 strain 15-49d3, isolated from mallard, and genotype 1V strain 15-58d44, isolated from magpie in Poland. The total genome assembly lengths are 1,140,139 bp and 1,158,207 bp, respectively.}, }
@article {pmid33822168, year = {2021}, author = {Seilern-Moy, K and Heaver, JP and Fernandez, JR and Macgregor, SK and John, SK and Cunningham, AA and Lawson, B}, title = {Atypical Knemidokoptosis in Two Dunnocks (Prunella modularis) in Southern England.}, journal = {Journal of wildlife diseases}, volume = {57}, number = {2}, pages = {467-470}, doi = {10.7589/JWD-D-20-00152}, pmid = {33822168}, issn = {1943-3700}, mesh = {Animals ; Bird Diseases/epidemiology/*parasitology/pathology ; England/epidemiology ; Mite Infestations/epidemiology/parasitology/pathology/*veterinary ; Mites/*classification ; Songbirds/*parasitology ; }, abstract = {Avian knemidokoptosis, caused by knemidokoptid mites (Knemidokoptinae: Epidermoptidae), has been reported in wild and domestic birds globally. We report two cases of severe knemidokoptosis in Dunnocks (Prunella modularis) from separate sites in Great Britain, where the disease has previously been reported predominantly in finches and, less frequently, in corvids.}, }
@article {pmid33822149, year = {2021}, author = {Zylberberg, M and Van Hemert, C and Handel, CM and Liu, RM and DeRisi, JL}, title = {POECIVIRUS IS PRESENT IN INDIVIDUALS WITH BEAK DEFORMITIES IN SEVEN SPECIES OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.}, journal = {Journal of wildlife diseases}, volume = {57}, number = {2}, pages = {273-281}, doi = {10.7589/JWD-D-20-00017}, pmid = {33822149}, issn = {1943-3700}, support = {/HHMI/Howard Hughes Medical Institute/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Beak/*pathology/virology ; Bird Diseases/*pathology/virology ; Birds ; Cloaca/virology ; North America ; Picornaviridae/*isolation &amp; purification ; Picornaviridae Infections/epidemiology/*veterinary/virology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/veterinary ; }, abstract = {Avian keratin disorder (AKD), a disease of unknown etiology characterized by debilitating beak overgrowth, has increasingly affected wild bird populations since the 1990s. A novel picornavirus, poecivirus, is closely correlated with disease status in Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) in Alaska, US. However, our knowledge of the relationship between poecivirus and beak deformities in other species and other geographic areas remains limited. The growing geographic scope and number of species affected by AKD-like beak deformities require a better understanding of the causative agent to evaluate the population-level impacts of this epizootic. Here, we tested eight individuals from six avian species with AKD-consistent deformities for the presence of poecivirus: Mew Gull (Larus canus), Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus), Black-billed Magpie (Pica hudsonia), American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos), Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis), and Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata). The birds were sampled in Alaska and Maine (1999-2016). We used targeted PCR followed by Sanger sequencing to test for the presence of poecivirus in each specimen and to obtain viral genome sequence from virus-positive host individuals. We detected poecivirus in all individuals tested, but not in negative controls (water and tissue samples). Furthermore, we used unbiased metagenomic sequencing to test for the presence of other pathogens in six of these specimens (Hairy Woodpecker, two American Crows, two Red-breasted Nuthatches, Blackpoll Warbler). This analysis yielded additional viral sequences from several specimens, including the complete coding region of poecivirus from one Red-breasted Nuthatch, which we confirmed via targeted PCR followed by Sanger sequencing. This study demonstrates that poecivirus is present in individuals with AKD-consistent deformities from six avian species other than Black-capped Chickadee. While further investigation will be required to explore whether there exists a causal link between this virus and AKD, this study demonstrates that poecivirus is not geographically restricted to Alaska, but rather occurs elsewhere in North America.}, }
@article {pmid33819991, year = {2021}, author = {Suttle, LG and Hare, JD and Halliday, JWD and Merlini, S and Russell, DR and Tubman, ER and Valenzuela-Villaseca, V and Rozmus, W and Bruulsema, C and Lebedev, SV}, title = {Collective optical Thomson scattering in pulsed-power driven high energy density physics experiments (invited).}, journal = {The Review of scientific instruments}, volume = {92}, number = {3}, pages = {033542}, doi = {10.1063/5.0041118}, pmid = {33819991}, issn = {1089-7623}, abstract = {Optical collective Thomson scattering (TS) is used to diagnose magnetized high energy density physics experiments at the Magpie pulsed-power generator at Imperial College London. The system uses an amplified pulse from the second harmonic of a Nd:YAG laser (3 J, 8 ns, 532 nm) to probe a wide diversity of high-temperature plasma objects, with densities in the range of 1017-1019 cm-3 and temperatures between 10 eV and a few keV. The scattered light is collected from 100 μm-scale volumes within the plasmas, which are imaged onto optical fiber arrays. Multiple collection systems observe these volumes from different directions, providing simultaneous probing with different scattering K-vectors (and different associated α-parameters, typically in the range of 0.5-3), allowing independent measurements of separate velocity components of the bulk plasma flow. The fiber arrays are coupled to an imaging spectrometer with a gated intensified charge coupled device. The spectrometer is configured to view the ion-acoustic waves of the collective Thomson scattered spectrum. Fits to the spectra with the theoretical spectral density function S(K, ω) yield measurements of the local plasma temperatures and velocities. Fitting is constrained by independent measurements of the electron density from laser interferometry and the corresponding spectra for different scattering vectors. This TS diagnostic has been successfully implemented on a wide range of experiments, revealing temperature and flow velocity transitions across magnetized shocks, inside rotating plasma jets and imploding wire arrays, as well as providing direct measurements of drift velocities inside a magnetic reconnection current sheet.}, }
@article {pmid33799387, year = {2021}, author = {Iemmi, T and Menozzi, A and Pérez-López, M and Basini, G and Grasselli, F and Menotta, S and Serventi, P and Bertini, S}, title = {Heavy Metal Assessment in Feathers of Eurasian Magpies (Pica pica): A Possible Strategy for Monitoring Environmental Contamination?.}, journal = {International journal of environmental research and public health}, volume = {18}, number = {6}, pages = {}, pmid = {33799387}, issn = {1660-4601}, mesh = {Animals ; Environmental Monitoring ; Environmental Pollution/analysis ; *Feathers/chemistry ; Female ; Italy ; Male ; *Metals, Heavy/analysis ; Pica ; }, abstract = {In the present study, the Eurasian magpie (Pica pica), was evaluated as a possible bioindicator of environmental pollution by heavy metals (HMs). Levels of Ni, Pb, Cd, and Hg in feathers of 64 magpies (31 males and 33 females) were measured by ICP-MS technique. Plasmatic biomarkers of oxidative stress (OS) were also assessed. The birds were captured in the province of Parma (Italy), in different capture sites within 1 km from urban area (UZ), and farther than 5 km from urban area (RZ). Median HM levels were 0.68 mg/kg (0.18-2.27), 2.80 mg/kg (0.41-17.7), <limit of detection (LOD) mg/kg (<LOD-0.25), 3.90 mg/kg (1.35-85.9) for Ni, Pb, Cd and Hg, respectively. No significant differences in HM levels were found according to sex, while Ni and Pb were significantly higher in adult compared to young birds (p = 0.047, p = 0.004). Conversely, Cd and Hg levels in young magpies resulted higher than those of adults (p = 0.001 and p = 0.004). No correlation was found between OS biomarkers and HM levels. No differences were found in HM levels according to capture area, except for Hg level, which resulted higher in magpies of RZ (4.05 mg/kg (1.35-12.7)) compared to UZ (2.99 mg/kg (1.54-85.9)). Further experiments are needed to establish whether magpie feathers could represent a suitable non-invasive tool for biomonitoring HMs in the environment.}, }
@article {pmid33791052, year = {2021}, author = {Shapiro, SD and Boehme, AK and Chang, BP and Miller, EC and Willey, J and Elkind, MSV}, title = {Safety and Hospital Costs Averted Using a Rapid Outpatient Management Strategy for Transient Ischemic Attack and Minor Strokes: The RAVEN Clinic.}, journal = {The Neurohospitalist}, volume = {11}, number = {2}, pages = {107-113}, pmid = {33791052}, issn = {1941-8744}, support = {R01 HL146811/HL/NHLBI NIH HHS/United States ; KL2 TR001874/TR/NCATS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 HL132347/HL/NHLBI NIH HHS/United States ; R01 HL141811/HL/NHLBI NIH HHS/United States ; R01 HL146911/HL/NHLBI NIH HHS/United States ; }, abstract = {STUDY OBJECTIVE: Patients presenting to emergency departments (ED) with transient ischemic attack and minor strokes (TIAMS) are often admitted for evaluation, though experience in other countries have suggested that an expedited outpatient care models may be a safe alternative. We hypothesized that a rapid access clinic for select TIAMS was feasible and would avert hospitalization costs.<br><br>METHODS: This retrospective analysis included patients presenting to our institution's ED with TIAMS and NIHSS ≤5 in calendar year 2017. We referred low-risk patients with TIAMS to a Rapid Access Vascular Evaluation-Neurology (RAVEN) clinic within 24 hours of ED discharge. We identified admitted patients who met RAVEN criteria at ED presentation. Rates of follow-up to the RAVEN clinic were recorded. Financial data collected included total hospital costs and time spent in the ED, as well hospital length of stay for admitted patients with low-risk TIAMS.<br><br>RESULTS: In 2017, 149 patients were referred to RAVEN clinic and 50 patients were admitted. Of the RAVEN patients 99 (94%) appeared as scheduled. None had clinical changes between ED discharge and clinical evaluation. One patient required hospitalization at the RAVEN evaluation. When compared to RAVEN patients, admitted patients had significantly higher $7,719 (SD 354) total hospital costs and were hospitalized for 2 days on average. Overall, the RAVEN strategy averted approximately $764,000 in hospitalization costs and 208 hospital bed-days in accounting year 2017.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: For select patients presenting with TIAMS without disabling deficits, a rapid outpatient evaluation may be feasible while averting significant total hospital costs and preserving inpatient hospital beds.}, }
@article {pmid33783651, year = {2021}, author = {Malekian, M and Shagholian, J and Hosseinpour, Z}, title = {Pathogen Presence in Wild Birds Inhabiting Landfills in Central Iran.}, journal = {EcoHealth}, volume = {18}, number = {1}, pages = {76-83}, pmid = {33783651}, issn = {1612-9210}, mesh = {Animals ; Animals, Wild ; Humans ; *Influenza in Birds/epidemiology ; Iran/epidemiology ; Salmonella ; *Starlings ; Waste Disposal Facilities ; }, abstract = {Wild birds are important in the transmission of many zoonotic pathogens such as salmonella and avian influenza virus (AIV). The current study investigated the presence of bacterial and viral pathogens in birds foraging at an open landfill located in Central Iran. We collected blood and intestinal samples from five abundant species, including rook (Corvus frugilegus), European starling (Sturnus vulgaris), house sparrow (Passer domesticus), black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) and slender-billed gull Chroicocephalus genei for bacteriological and serological examinations. Escherichia coli was present in all of the five species, while Salmonella spp. was found in four species. Campylobacter jejuni, Yersinia spp., Cytrobacter spp., and Klebsiella spp. were other bacteria isolated from all of the five species. Competitive ELISA showed that 19 samples (32%) from the two gull species were positive for AIV. There was no detection of West Nile virus, or Newcastle disease virus in the 150 birds sampled. The prevalence of these pathogens in landfill birds indicated that a potential risk is posed to landfill workers and the surrounding community, adding to our limited knowledge of the potential for landfills to support disease vectors.}, }
@article {pmid33783594, year = {2021}, author = {Iqbal, F and Ayub, Q and Wilson, R and Song, BK and Talei, A and Yeong, KY and Hermawan, AA and Fahim, M and Rahman, S}, title = {Monitoring of heavy metal pollution in urban and rural environments across Pakistan using House crows (Corvus splendens) as bioindicator.}, journal = {Environmental monitoring and assessment}, volume = {193}, number = {4}, pages = {237}, pmid = {33783594}, issn = {1573-2959}, mesh = {Animals ; Cities ; *Crows ; Environmental Biomarkers ; Environmental Monitoring ; *Environmental Pollutants/analysis ; *Metals, Heavy/analysis ; Pakistan ; }, abstract = {A widely distributed urban bird, the house crow (Corvus splendens), was used to assess bioavailable heavy metals in urban and rural environments across Pakistan. Bioaccumulation of arsenic (As), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), chromium (Cr), and copper (Cu) was investigated in wing feathers of 96 crows collected from eight locations and categorized into four groups pertaining to their geographical and environmental similarities. Results revealed that the concentrations of Pb, Ni, Mn, Cu, and Cr were positively correlated and varied significantly among the four groups. Zn, Fe, Cr, and Cu regarded as industrial outputs, were observed in birds both in industrialized cities and in adjoining rural agricultural areas irrigated through the Indus Basin Irrigation System. Birds in both urban regions accrued Pb more than the metal toxicity thresholds for birds. The house crow was ranked in the middle on the metal accumulation levels in feathers between highly accumulating raptor and piscivore and less contaminated insectivore and granivore species in the studied areas,. This study suggests that the house crow is an efficient bioindicator and supports the feasibility of using feathers to discriminate the local pollution differences among terrestrial environments having different levels and kinds of anthropogenic activities.}, }
@article {pmid33781549, year = {2022}, author = {Guha, D and Roy, PK and Banerjee, S}, title = {Performance evolution of different controllers for frequency regulation of a hybrid energy power system employing chaotic crow search algorithm.}, journal = {ISA transactions}, volume = {120}, number = {}, pages = {128-146}, doi = {10.1016/j.isatra.2021.03.017}, pmid = {33781549}, issn = {1879-2022}, abstract = {The work described herein compares the performance of different optimized controllers, viz. proportional-integral, proportional-integral-derivative (PID) with filter, two-degree-of-freedom (2DOF)-PID, 3DOF-PID, fractional-order-PID, cascade PI-PID, tilt-integral-derivative (TID), and cascade-TID (CC-TID) controllers in frequency regulation of a hybrid energy distributed power system (HEDPS). The HEDPS is integrated with a multi-unit hydrothermal power plant for ensuring stable power supply. Crow search algorithm has been adopted with chaotic mapping (CCSA) for fine-tuning of the controller settings mentioned above. Extensive analysis has been presented to confirm the superiority of the CC-TID controller compared to other prevalent controllers of state-of-art in terms of different performance specifications. The tuning competence of the CCSA has been demonstrated over conventional CSA and other available optimization techniques. To enhance the mastery of the controller, disturbance-observer (Dob) is developed to estimate fast-changing disturbance profiles and subsequently refines the control law. The controller's robustness is affirmed under random perturbations, presence of nonlinearities, and variation of parameters. The effect of integration of a geothermal power plant on the system performance has also been outlined. The efficacy of Dob-aided CC-TID controller in frequency regulation is validated thereof.}, }
@article {pmid33776175, year = {2020}, author = {Pendergraft, LT and Lehnert, AL and Marzluff, JM}, title = {Individual and social factors affecting the ability of American crows to solve and master a string pulling task.}, journal = {Ethology : formerly Zeitschrift fur Tierpsychologie}, volume = {126}, number = {2}, pages = {229-245}, pmid = {33776175}, issn = {0179-1613}, support = {S10 RR024689/RR/NCRR NIH HHS/United States ; }, abstract = {Crows and other birds in the family Corvidae regularly share information to learn the identity and whereabouts of dangerous predators, but can they use social learning to solve a novel task for a food reward? Here we examined the factors affecting the ability of 27 wild-caught American crows to solve a common string-pulling task in a laboratory setting. We split crows into two groups; one group was given the task after repeatedly observing a conspecific model the solution, the other solved in the absence of conspecific models. We recorded the crows' estimated age, sex, size, body condition, level of nervousness, and brain volume using DICOM images from a CT scan. Although none of these variables were statistically significant, crows without a conspecific model and large brain volumes consistently mastered the task in the minimum number of days, whereas those with conspecific models and smaller brain volumes required varying and sometimes a substantial number of days to master the task. We found indirect evidence that body condition might also be important for motivating crows to solve the task. Crows with conspecific models were no more likely to initially solve the task than those working the puzzle without social information, but those that mastered the task usually copied the method most frequently demonstrated by their knowledgeable neighbors. These findings suggest that brain volume and possibly body condition may be factors in learning new tasks, and that crows can use social learning to refine their ability to obtain a novel food source, although they must initially learn to access it themselves.}, }
@article {pmid33762704, year = {2021}, author = {Nikel, W}, title = {My dreams have been weird since the magpies arrived.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1038/d41586-021-00783-9}, pmid = {33762704}, issn = {1476-4687}, }
@article {pmid33754308, year = {2021}, author = {Hasenäcker, J and Solaja, O and Crepaldi, D}, title = {Does morphological structure modulate access to embedded word meaning in child readers?.}, journal = {Memory &amp; cognition}, volume = {49}, number = {7}, pages = {1334-1347}, pmid = {33754308}, issn = {1532-5946}, mesh = {Child ; Family ; Humans ; *Reading ; Schools ; *Semantics ; }, abstract = {Beginning readers have been shown to be sensitive to the meaning of embedded neighbors (e.g., CROW in CROWN). Moreover, developing readers are sensitive to the morphological structure of words (TEACH-ER). However, the interaction between orthographic and morphological processes in meaning activation during reading is not well established. What determines semantic access to orthographically embedded words? What is the role of suffixes in this process? And how does this change throughout development? To address these questions, we asked 80 Italian elementary school children (third, fourth, and fifth grade) to make category decisions on words (e.g., is CARROT a type of food?). Critically, some target words for no-answers (e.g., is CORNER a type of food?) contained category-congruent embedded stems (i.e., CORN). To gauge the role of morphology in this process, half of the embedded stems were accompanied by a pseudosuffix (CORN-ER) and half by a non-morphological ending (PEA-CE). Results revealed that words were harder to reject as members of a category when the embedded stem was category-congruent. This effect held both with and without a pseudosuffix, but was larger for pseudosuffixed words in the error rates. These results suggest that orthographic stems are activated and activation is fed forward to the semantic level regardless of morphological structure, followed by a decision-making process that might strategically use suffix-like endings.}, }
@article {pmid33743020, year = {2021}, author = {Aziz, B and Zubair, M and Irshad, N and Ahmad, KS and Mahmood, M and Tahir, MM and Shah, KH and Shaheen, A}, title = {Biomonitoring of Toxic Metals in Feathers of Birds from North-Eastern Pakistan.}, journal = {Bulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology}, volume = {106}, number = {5}, pages = {805-811}, pmid = {33743020}, issn = {1432-0800}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Monitoring ; Birds ; Environmental Monitoring ; *Environmental Pollutants/analysis ; Feathers/chemistry ; *Metals, Heavy/analysis ; Pakistan ; }, abstract = {The current study was designed to determine the concentrations of toxic metals (Ni, Pb and Cr) in feathers of birds collected from four regions of NE Pakistan. Feather samples of birds (House Crow, Common Myna and House Sparrow) were collected from different areas. Atomic absorption spectrophotometer was used to determine the concentration of metals in feathers. Analysis of the data revealed that concentrations of Pb and Cr were significantly different (p < 0.05) among bird species, whereas no difference (p > 0.05) was detected among bird species (house crow, common myna and house sparrow) for Ni. A significant difference was found for the concentration of Pb and Ni in all the four studied regions. Whereas, non-significant difference was found in all the studied regions for the concentrating of Cr. It was revealed that there is significant rising concentration of metals (Pb, Cr) in feathers of birds in Azad Kashmir.}, }
@article {pmid33742425, year = {2021}, author = {Wright, AA and Kelly, DM and Katz, JS}, title = {Same/different concept learning by primates and birds.}, journal = {Learning &amp; behavior}, volume = {49}, number = {1}, pages = {76-84}, pmid = {33742425}, issn = {1543-4508}, mesh = {Animals ; Columbidae ; *Concept Formation ; Conditioning, Operant ; *Learning ; Memory ; }, abstract = {Same/different abstract-concept learning experiments were conducted with two primate species and three avian species by progressively increasing the size of the training stimulus set of distinctly different pictures from eight to 1,024 pictures. These same/different learning experiments were trained with two pictures presented simultaneously. Transfer tests of same and different learning employed interspersed trials of novel pictures to assess the level of correct performance on the very first time of subjects had seen those pictures. All of the species eventually performed these tests with high accuracy, contradicting the long-accepted notion that nonhuman animals are unable to learn the concept of same/different. Capuchin and rhesus monkeys learned the concept more readily than did pigeons. Clark's nutcrackers and black-billed magpies learned as readily as monkeys, and even showed a slight advantage with the smallest training stimulus sets. Those tests of same/different learning were followed by delay procedures, such that a delay was introduced after the subjects responded to the sample picture and before the test picture. In the sequential same/different task, accuracy was shown to diminish when the stimulus on a previous trial matched the test picture previously shown on a different trial. This effect is known as proactive interference. The pigeons' proactive interference was greater at 10-s delays than 1-s delays, revealing time-based interference. By contrast, time delays had little or no effect on rhesus monkeys' proactive interference, suggesting that rhesus monkeys have better explicit memory of where and when they saw the potential interfering picture, revealing better event-based memory.}, }
@article {pmid33735945, year = {2021}, author = {Johnston, S and Tutticci, N and Theobald, K and Ramsbotham, J}, title = {Comparison of simulation observer tools on engagement and maximising learning: a pilot study.}, journal = {International journal of nursing education scholarship}, volume = {18}, number = {1}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1515/ijnes-2019-0110}, pmid = {33735945}, issn = {1548-923X}, mesh = {Clinical Competence ; Computer Simulation ; Humans ; Pilot Projects ; Problem-Based Learning ; *Simulation Training ; *Students, Nursing ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: This pilot study examined if the Clinical Reasoning Observer Worksheet (CROW) compared to a standard observer worksheet used during simulation, would enhance nursing students active learning behaviours and perceptions of clinical reasoning ability.<br><br>METHODS: This pilot study was undertaken to test the design and processes for a future larger study and reports on preliminary evidence of efficacy of recruitment procedures and instrumentation in addition to student's learning outcomes.<br><br>RESULTS: There was little overall difference in outcomes between groups who used either simulation observer worksheet. Overall, participants who used either worksheet perceived their ability to apply clinical reasoning to an episode of patient care increased.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Modifications were identified as necessary for a larger study including changes to instrumentation, method of survey delivery and training of simulation facilitators. A more definitive evaluation will be achievable with a larger group of students in a main study with the suggested modifications.}, }
@article {pmid33723800, year = {2022}, author = {Bah, HAF and Dos Anjos, ALS and Gomes-Júnior, EA and Bandeira, MJ and de Carvalho, CF and Dos Santos, NR and Martinez, VO and Adorno, EV and Menezes-Filho, JA}, title = {Delta-Aminolevulinic Acid Dehydratase, Low Blood Lead Levels, Social Factors, and Intellectual Function in an Afro-Brazilian Children Community.}, journal = {Biological trace element research}, volume = {200}, number = {2}, pages = {447-457}, pmid = {33723800}, issn = {1559-0720}, support = {PPSUS0040/2018//Fundação de Apoio a Pesquisa do Estado da Bahia/ ; }, mesh = {Brazil ; Child ; Environmental Exposure ; Ethnicity ; Genotype ; Humans ; *Intelligence ; *Lead/blood ; *Porphobilinogen Synthase/genetics ; *Social Factors ; }, abstract = {Delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) enzyme catalyzes the second phase of the heme biosynthesis and is involved in lead toxicokinetics. This research aimed to evaluate its influence on the relationship between blood lead (PbB) levels and intellectual performance in Afro-Brazilian children. PbB, hemoglobin concentration, ALAD activity, and polymorphism were determined in whole blood. Anthropometric, socioeconomic, and family environment stimuli data were collected with appropriate instruments. The non-verbal intelligence of children and their mothers or guardians was assessed using the correspondent Raven's Progressive Matrix versions. The medians (range) of PbB levels and ALAD activity were 1.0 μg/dL (0.1-21.3) and, 71 U/L (31-113), respectively. ALAD G177C was distributed as follows: 97.9% for ALAD1/1 and 2.1% for ALAD1/2 genotypes. The mean of Raven raw score was 19.3 (± 5.6) points and there were no differences according to sex or environmental Pb exposure. No statistically significant association was observed between PbB level and children's IQ. However, ALAD activity presented an inverse significant association with PbB levels, children's percentile IQ, and children's IQ/Age ratio, suggesting a neuroprotective role of ALAD1 genotype in those with low PbB level.}, }
@article {pmid33722974, year = {2021}, author = {Nieder, A}, title = {Neuroethology of number sense across the animal kingdom.}, journal = {The Journal of experimental biology}, volume = {224}, number = {Pt 6}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1242/jeb.218289}, pmid = {33722974}, issn = {1477-9145}, mesh = {Animals ; *Brain ; Cerebral Cortex ; *Cognition ; Mammals ; Neurons ; }, abstract = {Many species from diverse and often distantly related animal groups (e.g. monkeys, crows, fish and bees) have a sense of number. This means that they can assess the number of items in a set - its 'numerosity'. The brains of these phylogenetically distant species are markedly diverse. This Review examines the fundamentally different types of brains and neural mechanisms that give rise to numerical competence across the animal tree of life. Neural correlates of the number sense so far exist only for specific vertebrate species: the richest data concerning explicit and abstract number representations have been collected from the cerebral cortex of mammals, most notably human and nonhuman primates, but also from the pallium of corvid songbirds, which evolved independently of the mammalian cortex. In contrast, the neural data relating to implicit and reflexive numerical representations in amphibians and fish is limited. The neural basis of a number sense has not been explored in any protostome so far. However, promising candidate regions in the brains of insects, spiders and cephalopods - all of which are known to have number skills - are identified in this Review. A comparative neuroscientific approach will be indispensable for identifying evolutionarily stable neuronal circuits and deciphering codes that give rise to a sense of number across phylogeny.}, }
@article {pmid33717337, year = {2020}, author = {Dholakia, S}, title = {An Ethical Analysis of the 'Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (PM-JAY)' Scheme using the Stakeholder Approach to Universal Health Care in India.}, journal = {Asian bioethics review}, volume = {12}, number = {2}, pages = {195-203}, pmid = {33717337}, issn = {1793-9453}, abstract = {This paper analyses the ethical considerations using the stakeholder theory on two specific domains of the newly implemented 'Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (PM-JAY)' scheme by the Government of India. The paper recommends a solidarity-based approach over an entitlement based one that focuses on out-of-pocket expenses for the most vulnerable and a stewardship role from the private sector to ensure equity, accountability, and sustainability of PM-JAY scheme.}, }
@article {pmid33709778, year = {2021}, author = {}, title = {Tribute to Jay S. Skyler, MD, MACP.}, journal = {Diabetes technology &amp; therapeutics}, volume = {23}, number = {4}, pages = {235-244}, doi = {10.1089/dia.2021.0090}, pmid = {33709778}, issn = {1557-8593}, }
@article {pmid33683590, year = {2021}, author = {Ghaemi, A and Zhian, T and Pirzadeh, B and Hashemi Monfared, S and Mosavi, A}, title = {Reliability-based design and implementation of crow search algorithm for longitudinal dispersion coefficient estimation in rivers.}, journal = {Environmental science and pollution research international}, volume = {28}, number = {27}, pages = {35971-35990}, pmid = {33683590}, issn = {1614-7499}, support = {EFOP-3.6.1-16-2016-00010//European Commission/ ; }, mesh = {Algorithms ; Animals ; *Crows ; Reproducibility of Results ; *Rivers ; Water Quality ; }, abstract = {The longitudinal dispersion coefficient (LDC) of river pollutants is considered as one of the prominent water quality parameters. In this regard, numerous research studies have been conducted in recent years, and various equations have been extracted based on hydrodynamic and geometric elements. LDC's estimated values obtained using different equations reveal a significant uncertainty due to this phenomenon's complexity. In the present study, the crow search algorithm (CSA) is applied to increase the equation's precision by employing evolutionary polynomial regression (EPR) to model an extensive amount of geometrical and hydraulic data. The results indicate that the CSA improves the performance of EPR in terms of R2 (0.8), Willmott's index of agreement (0.93), Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (0.77), and overall index (0.84). In addition, the reliability analysis of the proposed equation (i.e., CSA) reduced the failure probability (Pf) when the value of the failure state containing 50 to 600 m2/s is increasing for the Pf determination using the Monte Carlo simulation. The best-fitted function for correct failure probability prediction was the power with R2 = 0.98 compared with linear and exponential functions.}, }
@article {pmid33683078, year = {2021}, author = {Farris, P and Draelos, ZD and Felipe de Oliveira Stehling, L}, title = {Novel Facial Treatment Regimen Improves Aging Skin Appearance.}, journal = {Journal of drugs in dermatology : JDD}, volume = {20}, number = {3}, pages = {274-278}, doi = {10.36849/JDD.5791}, pmid = {33683078}, issn = {1545-9616}, mesh = {Administration, Cutaneous ; Adult ; Aged ; Cosmeceuticals/*administration &amp; dosage ; Face/diagnostic imaging ; Facial Dermatoses/diagnosis/*therapy ; Female ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Hyperpigmentation/diagnosis/*therapy ; Middle Aged ; Photography ; Skin Aging/*drug effects/physiology ; Skin Care/*methods ; Treatment Outcome ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Skin care regimens with multiple active ingredients offer a multimodal approach to anti-aging treatments.<br><br>OBJECTIVE: The objective of this research was to investigate the efficacy of a multimodal skincare regimen on facial skin appearance after 12 weeks of twice daily use as compared to baseline.<br><br>METHOD: 35 healthy female subjects 35&amp;ndash;65 years of age of Fitzpatrick skin types I&amp;ndash;III with mild to moderate facial photoaging characterized by hyperpigmentation were enrolled. Subjects were seen at baseline, week 6, and week 12, and underwent subject and investigator assessments along with noninvasive evaluations (elasticity, corneometry, dermaspectrophotometer) and photography.<br><br>RESULTS: Most notable at week 12 was a 60% improvement in smoothness, 82% improvement in dryness, 30% improvement in fine lines, and 24% improvement in crow&rsquo;s feet. There was an 8% reduction in macule hyperpigmentation (P<0.001) at week 12, supporting excellent pigment lightening qualities for the regimen. There was a statistically significant increase in skin firmness (decrease in elasticity) as early as week 6 of 6% with further improvement observed at week 12 of 16% (P=0.002).<br><br>SUMMARY: A multimodal skincare regimen with antioxidants, retinol, hydrolyzed pearl, caviar extract, peptides, and growth factors including EGF and TGF-&beta; results in an improvement in the appearance of photoaged skin after 12 weeks of twice daily use. J Drugs Dermatol. 2021;20(3):274-278. doi:10.36849/JDD.5791.}, }
@article {pmid33669706, year = {2021}, author = {Shrader-Frechette, K and Biondo, AM}, title = {Data-Quality Assessment Signals Toxic-Site Safety Threats and Environmental Injustices.}, journal = {International journal of environmental research and public health}, volume = {18}, number = {4}, pages = {}, pmid = {33669706}, issn = {1660-4601}, mesh = {Child ; Environmental Pollution ; Hazardous Substances ; *Hazardous Waste Sites ; Humans ; *Trichloroethylene ; United States ; United States Environmental Protection Agency ; }, abstract = {Most hazardous-waste sites are located in urban areas populated by disproportionate numbers of children, minorities, and poor people who, as a result, face more severe pollution threats and environmental-health inequalities. Partly to address this harm, in 2017 the United Nations unanimously endorsed the New Urban Agenda, which includes redeveloping urban-infill-toxic-waste sites. However, no systematic, independent analyses assess the public-health adequacy of such hazardous-facility redevelopments. Our objective is to provide a preliminary data-quality assessment (PDQA) of urban-infill-toxic-site testing, conducted by private redevelopers, including whether it adequately addresses pollution threats. To this end, we used two qualitative, weight-of-evidence methods. Method 1 employs nine criteria to select assessments for PDQA and help control for confounders. To conduct PDQA, Method 2 uses three US Environmental Protection Agency standards-the temporal, geographical, and technological representativeness of sampling. Our Method 1 results reveal four current toxic-site assessments (by CBRE/Trammell Crow, the world's largest commercial developer); at all of these sites the main risk drivers are solvents, volatile organic compounds, including trichloroethylene. Our Method 2 results indicate that all four assessments violate most PDQA standards and systematically underestimate health risk. These results reveal environmental injustice, disproportionate health threats to children/minorities/poor people at all four sites. Although preliminary, our conclusion is that alleviating harm and environmental-health inequalities posed by urban-infill-toxic-site pollution may require improving both the testing/cleanup/redevelopment requirements of the New Urban Agenda and the regulatory oversight of assessment and remediation performed by private redevelopers.}, }
@article {pmid33664383, year = {2021}, author = {Kolkert, HL and Smith, R and Rader, R and Reid, N}, title = {Prey removal in cotton crops next to woodland reveals periodic diurnal and nocturnal invertebrate predation gradients from the crop edge by birds and bats.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {11}, number = {1}, pages = {5256}, pmid = {33664383}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Agriculture ; Animals ; Birds/*physiology ; Chiroptera/*physiology ; Coleoptera/pathogenicity ; Crops, Agricultural/parasitology ; Feeding Behavior/*physiology ; Forests ; Gossypium/parasitology ; Predatory Behavior/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Factors influencing the efficacy of insectivorous vertebrates in providing natural pest control services inside crops at increasing distances from the crop edge are poorly understood. We investigated the identity of vertebrate predators (birds and bats) and removal of sentinel prey (mealworms and beetles) from experimental feeding trays in cotton crops using prey removal trials, camera traps and observations. More prey was removed during the day than at night, but prey removal was variable at the crop edge and dependent on the month (reflecting crop growth and cover) and time of day. Overall, the predation of mealworms and beetles was 1-times and 13-times greater during the day than night, respectively, with predation on mealworms 3-5 times greater during the day than night at the crop edge compared to 95 m inside the crop. Camera traps identified many insectivorous birds and bats over crops near the feeding trays, but there was no evidence of bats or small passerines removing experimental prey. A predation gradient from the crop edge was evident, but only in some months. This corresponded to the foraging preferences of open-space generalist predators (magpies) in low crop cover versus the shrubby habitat preferred by small passerines, likely facilitating foraging away from the crop edge later in the season. Our results are in line with Optimal Foraging Theory and suggest that predators trade-off foraging behaviour with predation risk at different distances from the crop edge and levels of crop cover. Understanding the optimal farm configuration to support insectivorous bird and bat populations can assist farmers to make informed decisions regarding in-crop natural pest control and maximise the predation services provided by farm biodiversity.}, }
@article {pmid33662942, year = {2021}, author = {Eggers, T and Kilgore, J and Green, D and Vrabec, T and Kilgore, K and Bhadra, N}, title = {Combining direct current and kilohertz frequency alternating current to mitigate onset activity during electrical nerve block.}, journal = {Journal of neural engineering}, volume = {18}, number = {4}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1088/1741-2552/abebed}, pmid = {33662942}, issn = {1741-2552}, support = {R01 EB024860/EB/NIBIB NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Action Potentials ; Animals ; Electric Stimulation ; Electricity ; *Nerve Block ; *Neural Conduction ; Peripheral Nerves ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; }, abstract = {Objective.Electrical nerve block offers the ability to immediately and reversibly block peripheral nerve conduction and would have applications in the emerging field of bioelectronics. Two modalities of electrical nerve block have been investigated-kilohertz frequency alternating current (KHFAC) and direct current (DC). KHFAC can be safely delivered with conventional electrodes, but has the disadvantage of having an onset response, which is a period of increased neural activation before block is established and currently limits clinical translation. DC has long been known to block neural conduction without an onset response but creates damaging reactive species. Typical electrodes can safely deliver DC for less than one second, but advances in high capacitance electrodes allow DC delivery up to 10 s without damage. The present work aimed to combine DC and KHFAC into a single waveform, named the combined reduced onset waveform (CROW), which can initiate block without an onset response while also maintaining safe block for long durations. This waveform consists of a short, DC pre-pulse before initiating KHFAC.Approach.Simulations of this novel waveform were carried out in the axonal simulation environment NEURON to test feasibility and gain insight into the mechanisms of action. Two sets of acute experiments were then conducted in adult Sprague-Dawley rats to determine the effectiveness of the waveform in mitigating the onset response.Main results.The CROW reduced the onset response bothin silicoandin vivo. The onset area was reduced by over 90% with the tested parameters in the acute experiments. The amplitude of the DC pulse was shown to be particularly important for effective onset mitigation, requiring amplitudes 6-8 times the DC block threshold.Significance.This waveform can reliably reduce the onset response due to KHFAC and could allow for wider clinical implementation of electrical nerve block.}, }
@article {pmid33654486, year = {2021}, author = {Gao, LF and Zhang, HY and Zhang, W and Zhang, XD and Zhu, ZQ and Du, B}, title = {Fitness consequences of divorce in the azure-winged magpie depends on the breeding experience of a new mate.}, journal = {Current zoology}, volume = {67}, number = {1}, pages = {17-25}, pmid = {33654486}, issn = {1674-5507}, abstract = {Sexual conflict in producing and raising offspring is a critical issue in evolutionary ecology research. Individual experience affects their breeding performance, as measured by such traits of provisioning of offspring and engagement in extra-pair copulations, and may cause an imbalance in sexual conflict. Thus, divorce is hypothesized to occur within aged social pairs, irrespective of current reproductive success. This concept was explored in the azure-winged magpie Cyanopica cyanus by investigating the divorce of a social pair and its relationship to their changes in breeding performance with prior experience. Females engaging in extra-pair copulation may intensify sexual conflicts and may be the main reason for divorce. Once divorced, females repairing with an inexperienced male realized higher reproductive success than that repairing with an experienced male; males repairing with an experienced female realized higher reproductive success than that repairing with an inexperienced female. This finding indicates that the fitness consequence of divorce depends on the breeding experience of new mates. Divorced females can obtain more extra-pair copulations, whereas divorced males cannot, when they repair with inexperienced breeders. Divorced females provisioned a brood at lower rates than inexperienced females whereas divorced males had no such difference. It appears that divorced females can obtain an advantage in sexual conflicts with inexperienced mates in future reproduction. Consequently, females are probably more active than males in divorcing their aged mates so as to select an inexperienced male as a new mate. Azure-winged magpies thus provide novel insights into the implications of sexual conflict in birds.}, }
@article {pmid33652621, year = {2021}, author = {Athanasakopoulou, Z and Tsilipounidaki, K and Sofia, M and Chatzopoulos, DC and Giannakopoulos, A and Karakousis, I and Giannakis, V and Spyrou, V and Touloudi, A and Satra, M and Galamatis, D and Diamantopoulos, V and Mpellou, S and Petinaki, E and Billinis, C}, title = {Poultry and Wild Birds as a Reservoir of CMY-2 Producing Escherichia coli: The First Large-Scale Study in Greece.}, journal = {Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)}, volume = {10}, number = {3}, pages = {}, pmid = {33652621}, issn = {2079-6382}, support = {T2DGE-0944//The European Union and the General Secretariat for Research and Innovation, Ministry of Development &amp; Investments/ ; }, abstract = {Resistance mediated by β-lactamases is a globally spread menace. The aim of the present study was to determine the occurrence of Escherichia coli producing plasmid-encoded AmpC β-lactamases (pAmpC) in animals. Fecal samples from chickens (n = 159), cattle (n = 104), pigs (n = 214), and various wild bird species (n = 168), collected from different Greek regions during 2018-2020, were screened for the presence of pAmpC-encoding genes. Thirteen E. coli displaying resistance to third-generation cephalosporins and a positive AmpC confirmation test were detected. blaCMY-2 was the sole pAmpC gene identified in 12 chickens' and 1 wild bird (Eurasian magpie) isolates and was in all cases linked to an upstream ISEcp1-like element. The isolates were classified into five different sequence types: ST131, ST117, ST155, ST429, and ST1415. Four chickens' stains were assigned to ST131, while five chickens' strains and the one from the Eurasian magpie belonged to ST117. Seven pAmpC isolates co-harbored genes conferring resistance to tetracyclines (tetM, tetB, tetC, tetD), 3 carried sulfonamide resistance genes (sulI and sulII), and 10 displayed mutations in the quinolone resistance-determining regions of gyrA (S83L+D87N) and parC (S80I+E84V). This report provides evidence of pAmpC dissemination, describing for the first time the presence of CMY-2 in chickens and wild birds from Greece.}, }
@article {pmid33635988, year = {2021}, author = {Dezfuli, BS and Manera, M and Rubini, S}, title = {Intestinal Histopathology due to an Acanthocephalan in Two Corvid Species from Northern Italy.}, journal = {Journal of wildlife diseases}, volume = {57}, number = {1}, pages = {215-219}, doi = {10.7589/JWD-D-20-00080}, pmid = {33635988}, issn = {1943-3700}, mesh = {*Acanthocephala ; Animals ; Bird Diseases/epidemiology/*parasitology/pathology ; Helminthiasis, Animal/epidemiology/parasitology/*pathology ; Intestinal Diseases/epidemiology/parasitology/*veterinary ; Italy/epidemiology ; Passeriformes/*parasitology ; }, abstract = {Carnivorous birds maintain parasites in the sylvatic cycle and have a role in their diffusion. The histopathology and ultrastructure of the intestine of 29 Hooded Crows (Corvus corone cornix) and 51 Eurasian Magpies (Pica pica), from the Province of Ferrara (Northern Italy), naturally infected with Sphaerirostris picae (Acanthocephala), were investigated. In both bird species, the prevalence of infection was around 10%, and the intensity of the infection in the Hooded Crows ranged from two to 12 acanthocephalans per host, whereas in the Eurasian Magpies it ranged from one to nine worms per bird. Previous records on the histopathology of acanthocephalans in birds do not provide information on the type of cells involved in the host's reaction. We aimed to gain information on the effects of acanthocephalans on the structural integrity of the birds' intestine and to describe the type of immune cells in the hosts against the parasite. Our results showed that S. picae disrupted the intestinal wall at the site of attachment by means of its neck and proboscis, and three main types of bird intestinal reactions were noticed. The most severe response of the hosts was against the proboscis because of the action of its hooks with recruitment of macrophages, giant cells, eosinophils, and heterophils. Sphaerirostris picae perforated the birds' entire intestinal wall, reaching the peritoneal visceral serosa, but it did not provoke a diffuse peritonitis.}, }
@article {pmid33626062, year = {2021}, author = {Brooks, J and Onishi, E and Clark, IR and Bohn, M and Yamamoto, S}, title = {Uniting against a common enemy: Perceived outgroup threat elicits ingroup cohesion in chimpanzees.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {16}, number = {2}, pages = {e0246869}, pmid = {33626062}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Aggression/*physiology ; Animals ; *Cooperative Behavior ; Female ; Male ; Pan troglodytes/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Outgroup threat has been identified as an important driver of ingroup cohesion in humans, but the evolutionary origin of such a relationship is unclear. Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) in the wild are notably aggressive towards outgroup members but coordinate complex behaviors with many individuals in group hunting and border patrols. One hypothesis claims that these behaviors evolve alongside one another, where outgroup threat selects for ingroup cohesion and group coordination. To test this hypothesis, 5 groups of chimpanzees (N = 29 individuals) were observed after hearing either pant-hoots of unfamiliar wild chimpanzees or control crow vocalizations both in their typical daily environment and in a context of induced feeding competition. We observed a behavioral pattern that was consistent both with increased stress and vigilance (self-directed behaviors increased, play decreased, rest decreased) and increased ingroup cohesion (interindividual proximity decreased, aggression over food decreased, and play during feeding competition increased). These results support the hypothesis that outgroup threat elicits ingroup tolerance in chimpanzees. This suggests that in chimpanzees, like humans, competition between groups fosters group cohesion.}, }
@article {pmid33608624, year = {2021}, author = {Walker, MA and Uribasterra, M and Asher, V and Getz, WM and Ryan, SJ and Ponciano, JM and Blackburn, JK}, title = {Factors influencing scavenger guilds and scavenging efficiency in Southwestern Montana.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {11}, number = {1}, pages = {4254}, pmid = {33608624}, issn = {2045-2322}, support = {R01 GM117617/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {*Biodiversity ; *Ecosystem ; Factor Analysis, Statistical ; Geography ; *Models, Theoretical ; Montana ; }, abstract = {Scavenging of carrion shapes ecological landscapes by influencing scavenger population demography, increasing inter- and intra-specific interactions, and generating ecosystem services such as nutrient cycling and disease moderation. Previous research found the cues promoting, or the constraints limiting, an individual's propensity or ability to scavenge vary widely, depending on anthropogenic and environmental factors. Here we investigated differences in scavenging patterns in a complex scavenger guild in Southwestern Montana. We used camera traps established at 13 carcass sites to monitor carcass detection, visitation, and consumption times, during 2016-2018 and generalized linear models to explore the influence of carcass characteristics, habitat features, and seasonality, on carcass selection and scavenging efficiency. We found that scavenger species diversity was higher at higher elevations and in grassland habitats. Scavenging efficiency was influenced inter alia by seasonality, distance to water, and elevation. We found that most carcass consumption was via facultative scavengers (bears, wolves, magpies, Corvus spp.) rather than turkey vultures, the only obligate scavengers in the study area. However, growing populations of turkey vultures may lead to increased competition with facultative scavengers over carrion, and could have cascading effects on food webs in this ecosystem.}, }
@article {pmid33608384, year = {2021}, author = {Rinnert, P and Nieder, A}, title = {Neural Code of Motor Planning and Execution during Goal-Directed Movements in Crows.}, journal = {The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience}, volume = {41}, number = {18}, pages = {4060-4072}, pmid = {33608384}, issn = {1529-2401}, mesh = {Animals ; Brain Mapping ; Conditioning, Operant ; Crows/*physiology ; Decision Making/*physiology ; Goals ; Head Movements/physiology ; Male ; Movement/*physiology ; Neurons/physiology ; Psychomotor Performance/*physiology ; Single-Cell Analysis ; Telencephalon/physiology ; }, abstract = {The planning and execution of head-beak movements are vital components of bird behavior. They require integration of sensory input and internal processes with goal-directed motor output. Despite its relevance, the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying action planning and execution outside of the song system are largely unknown. We recorded single-neuron activity from the associative endbrain area nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL) of two male carrion crows (Corvus corone) trained to plan and execute head-beak movements in a spatial delayed response task. The crows were instructed to plan an impending movement toward one of eight possible targets on the left or right side of a touchscreen. In a fraction of trials, the crows were prompted to plan a movement toward a self-chosen target. NCL neurons signaled the impending motion direction in instructed trials. Tuned neuronal activity during motor planning categorically represented the target side, but also specific target locations. As a marker of intentional movement preparation, neuronal activity reliably predicted both target side and specific target location when the crows were free to select a target. In addition, NCL neurons were tuned to specific target locations during movement execution. A subset of neurons was tuned during both planning and execution period; these neurons experienced a sharpening of spatial tuning with the transition from planning to execution. These results show that the avian NCL not only represents high-level sensory and cognitive task components, but also transforms behaviorally-relevant information into dynamic action plans and motor execution during the volitional perception-action cycle of birds.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Corvid songbirds have become exciting new models for understanding complex cognitive behavior. As a key neural underpinning, the endbrain area nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL) represents sensory and memory-related task components. How such representations are converted into goal-directed motor output remained unknown. In crows, we report that NCL neurons are involved in the planning and execution of goal-directed movements. NCL neurons prospectively signaled motion directions in instructed trials, but also when the crows were free to choose a target. NCL neurons showed a target-specific sharpening of tuning with the transition from the planning to the execution period. Thus, the avian NCL not only represents high-level sensory and cognitive task components, but also transforms relevant information into action plans and motor execution.}, }
@article {pmid33607622, year = {2021}, author = {Torell, EJ and Pistone, TS and Gard, AP}, title = {The history of neurosurgery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.}, journal = {Journal of neurosurgery}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {1-7}, doi = {10.3171/2020.8.JNS20634}, pmid = {33607622}, issn = {1933-0693}, abstract = {The Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center has grown considerably from one neurosurgeon in 1923 into a first-class department with diverse subspecialty care and innovative faculty. Founding neurosurgeon Dr. J. Jay Keegan, a student of Harvey Cushing, instituted a legacy of clinical and research excellence that he passed on to his successors. The department created a lecture series to honor Keegan's pioneering techniques and impact in the field, featuring prominent neurosurgeons from across the country. Keegan's successors, such as Dr. Lyal Leibrock, grew the department through a unique partnership with private practice. The current faculty has continued the tradition of exceptional resident training and innovative patient care.}, }
@article {pmid33604599, year = {2021}, author = {Lozano-Ruiz, A and Fasfous, AF and Ibanez-Casas, I and Cruz-Quintana, F and Perez-Garcia, M and Pérez-Marfil, MN}, title = {Cultural Bias in Intelligence Assessment Using a Culture-Free Test in Moroccan Children.}, journal = {Archives of clinical neuropsychology : the official journal of the National Academy of Neuropsychologists}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1093/arclin/acab005}, pmid = {33604599}, issn = {1873-5843}, abstract = {OBJECTIVE: Previous research has shown that cognitive tests can lead to misclassification when applying non-representative norms to measure cognitive performance. The objective of this study was to investigate whether this misclassification also occurs with a non-verbal so-called "culture-free" intelligence test administered to different age groups.<br><br>METHOD: The intelligence of a sample of healthy Moroccan children (N = 147) ages 7, 9, and 11 was assessed using the Coloured Raven's Progressive Matrices (CPM). Raw scores were used to study age differences, as well as misclassifications when applying the norms of three countries culturally different from Morocco (United Kingdom, Spain, and Oman).<br><br>RESULTS: Intelligence performance was not within the normal range when non-representative norms were applied to the Moroccan raw scores. Misclassifications accounted for a large percentage of the participants that supposedly displayed intelligence deficits, especially when applying the British norms. Up to 15.68% of the healthy children fell within the "intellectually impaired" range, and up to 62.5% fell "below average," with these percentages especially higher at older ages.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our findings confirm that "culture-free" tests should be adapted to each culture and applied together with their culture's specific norms to prevent misclassification and allow for a better, unbiased neuropsychological assessment.}, }
@article {pmid33598801, year = {2021}, author = {Güntürkün, O}, title = {The conscious crow.}, journal = {Learning &amp; behavior}, volume = {49}, number = {1}, pages = {3-4}, pmid = {33598801}, issn = {1543-4508}, mesh = {Animals ; Brain ; *Consciousness ; *Crows ; Neurons ; }, abstract = {Nieder, Wagener, &amp; Rinnert (Science, 369(6511), 1626-1629, 2020) demonstrated that some neurons in a prefrontal-like brain area of carrion crows signal neither the physical stimulus nor the intended action but the upcoming choice. This pattern of results implies that neural computations for consciousness can be generated by nonmammalian brains in similar ways as in primates.}, }
@article {pmid33594558, year = {2021}, author = {Zhukovskaya, A and Goryachev, V and Zakhartsev, M and Chelomin, V}, title = {The role of the cadmium-binding protein response of the digestive gland of the Yesso scallop Mizuhopecten yessoensis (Jay, 1857) for marine environmental assessments.}, journal = {Environmental science and pollution research international}, volume = {28}, number = {24}, pages = {30986-30992}, pmid = {33594558}, issn = {1614-7499}, mesh = {Animals ; Cadmium ; *Metallothionein ; *Pectinidae ; Seafood ; }, abstract = {The ability of Pectinidae to accumulate heavy metals and store them in their tissues allows the use of scallops for biomonitoring marine pollution. High molecular weight metallothionein (MT)-like proteins (MTlps) play a central role in this process. Two major MTlps (72 and 43 kDa) have been identified in the digestive glands of Mizuhopecten yessoensis (Yesso scallop). These proteins have a very high affinity for the heavy metals cadmium, cobalt, and caesium. Additionally, these proteins can be deposited in large quantities in the digestive glands of this mollusc. It has been shown that 72 kDa MTlp is the main stress-response protein in areas polluted with cadmium or radioactive metals. Monitoring the amounts of MTlps in the digestive glands of the scallop M. yessoensis in areas with different anthropogenic pollutants has shown that these proteins are reliable biological markers of heavy-metal pollution in the marine environment.}, }
@article {pmid33572837, year = {2021}, author = {Gil-Sánchez, JM and Aguilera-Alcalá, N and Moleón, M and Sebastián-González, E and Margalida, A and Morales-Reyes, Z and Durá-Alemañ, CJ and Oliva-Vidal, P and Pérez-García, JM and Sánchez-Zapata, JA}, title = {Biases in the Detection of Intentionally Poisoned Animals: Public Health and Conservation Implications from a Field Experiment.}, journal = {International journal of environmental research and public health}, volume = {18}, number = {3}, pages = {}, pmid = {33572837}, issn = {1660-4601}, mesh = {Animals ; Animals, Wild ; Bias ; Conservation of Natural Resources ; *Poisons ; Public Health ; Spain/epidemiology ; }, abstract = {Intentional poisoning is a global wildlife problem and an overlooked risk factor for public health. Managing poisoning requires unbiased and high-quality data through wildlife monitoring protocols, which are largely lacking. We herein evaluated the biases associated with current monitoring programmes of wildlife poisoning in Spain. We compared the national poisoning database for the 1990-2015 period with information obtained from a field experiment during which we used camera-traps to detect the species that consumed non-poisoned baits. Our findings suggest that the detection rate of poisoned animals is species-dependent: Several animal groups (e.g., domestic mammalian carnivores and vultures) tended to be over-represented in the poisoning national database, while others (e.g., corvids and small mammals) were underrepresented. As revealed by the GLMM analyses, the probability of a given species being overrepresented was higher for heaviest, aerial, and cryptic species. In conclusion, we found that monitoring poisoned fauna based on heterogeneous sources may produce important biases in detection rates; thus, such information should be used with caution by managers and policy-makers. Our findings may guide to future search efforts aimed to reach a more comprehensive understanding of the intentional wildlife poisoning problem.}, }
@article {pmid33559368, year = {2022}, author = {Wang, Q and Zhou, ZJ and You, Z and Wu, DY and Liu, SJ and Zhang, WL and Fan, KR and Luo, R and Qiu, Y and Ge, XY}, title = {Epidemiology and evolution of novel deltacoronaviruses in birds in central China.}, journal = {Transboundary and emerging diseases}, volume = {69}, number = {2}, pages = {632-644}, doi = {10.1111/tbed.14029}, pmid = {33559368}, issn = {1865-1682}, support = {2017YFD0500104//National Key Research and Development Program of China/ ; 32041001//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; 81902070//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; 2019JJ20004//Provincial Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province/ ; 2019JJ50035//Provincial Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Bayes Theorem ; Birds ; China/epidemiology ; *Coronavirus/genetics ; *Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology/veterinary ; Deltacoronavirus ; Phylogeny ; }, abstract = {The variety and widespread of coronavirus in natural reservoir animals is likely to cause epidemics via interspecific transmission, which has attracted much attention due to frequent coronavirus epidemics in recent decades. Birds are natural reservoir of various viruses, but the existence of coronaviruses in wild birds in central China has been barely studied. Some bird coronaviruses belong to the genus of Deltacoronavirus. To explore the diversity of bird deltacoronaviruses in central China, we tested faecal samples from 415 wild birds in Hunan Province, China. By RT-PCR detection, we identified eight samples positive for deltacoronaviruses which were all from common magpies, and in four of them, we successfully amplified complete deltacoronavirus genomes distinct from currently known deltacoronavirus, indicating four novel deltacoronavirus stains (HNU1-1, HNU1-2, HNU2 and HNU3). Comparative analysis on the four genomic sequences showed that these novel magpie deltacoronaviruses shared three different S genes among which the S genes of HNU1-1 and HNU1-2 showed 93.8% amino acid (aa) identity to that of thrush coronavirus HKU12, HNU2 S showed 71.9% aa identity to that of White-eye coronavirus HKU16, and HNU3 S showed 72.4% aa identity to that of sparrow coronavirus HKU17. Recombination analysis showed that frequent recombination events of the S genes occurred among these deltacoronavirus strains. Two novel putative cleavage sites separating the non-structural proteins in the HNU coronaviruses were found. Bayesian phylogeographic analysis showed that the south coast of China might be a potential origin of bird deltacoronaviruses existing in inland China. In summary, these results suggest that common magpie in China carries diverse deltacoronaviruses with novel genomic features, indicating an important source of environmental coronaviruses closed to human communities, which may provide key information for prevention and control of future coronavirus epidemics.}, }
@article {pmid33557698, year = {2021}, author = {Yadav, J and Menon, G and Agarwal, A and John, D}, title = {Burden of injuries and its associated hospitalization expenditure in India.}, journal = {International journal of injury control and safety promotion}, volume = {28}, number = {2}, pages = {153-161}, doi = {10.1080/17457300.2021.1879163}, pmid = {33557698}, issn = {1745-7319}, mesh = {Cost of Illness ; Family Characteristics ; *Health Expenditures ; *Hospitalization ; Humans ; India/epidemiology ; }, abstract = {Injuries are a major public health concern, affect the most productive age group i.e. (15-60 years) and increases disability adjusted life years (DALYs) and results in a huge financial burden on the household. Disease burden is represented by DALYs and economic burden represents the out of pocket (OOP) and catastrophic health expenditure (CHE). We examined the burden of injury and its impact on household financial burden among the working population (15-60 years) in India. We used data on National and State Level DALYs for Injuries for 2017 from the published National Disease Burden Estimate (NBE, 2019) Study. The cost of treatment was extracted from 75th round of the National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO, 2017-18). DALYs is the sum of YLLs and YLDs. OOPEs were estimated as a per episode of hospitalization expenses after reimbursement and CHE was defined as out of pocket expenditure exceeding 10% of household consumption expenditure. Accidental injuries particularly road traffic injuries have higher DALY rates among 15-60 years in India (1288 DALYs per 100,000). However, the mean OOPE was found to be higher due to intentional self-harm. Persons suffering from injury in states like Punjab, Haryana, UP, Gujarat, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh approached private facilities more compared to public facilities. Whereas, people from states like Jammu and Kashmir, Orissa, West Bengal, North East availed public facilities more than private. OOPE was found to be five times more in private facilities than in public. The households who sought treatment in private facilities were faced 3 times more to Catastrophic expenditure than those who took the treatment in public hospital of any injury. The present study indicated high DALYs, OOPE and % CHE for injury in India. Higher proportion of households were pushed to catastrophic expenditure due to high OOPE of injury treatment. Disease and economic burden due to road traffic injury and fall was found to be high as compared to other injuries. Our study strengthens the need for executing effective financial protection approach in India like PM-JAY, to minimize the financial burden incurred due to injuries in India.}, }
@article {pmid33539129, year = {2021}, author = {Lütke, N and Lange-Küttner, C}, title = {The magical number four in children's mental rotation of cube aggregates.}, journal = {Developmental psychology}, volume = {57}, number = {2}, pages = {211-226}, doi = {10.1037/dev0001139}, pmid = {33539129}, issn = {1939-0599}, mesh = {Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; *Problem Solving ; }, abstract = {We investigated mental rotation in children by systematically varying the adult cube aggregate's set size, rotation angle, and picture/depth plane rotations in a new test. Eighty 4- to 11-year-old mainly middle-class children (British Indian and British African majority and white minority; 40 girls and 40 boys) were assessed using the new matching-to-sample Colored Mental Rotation Test (CMRT) and, for comparison, the Raven Colored Progressive Matrices Test (RCPM). A high Cronbach's alpha of .94 and the Rasch model demonstrated item homogeneity of the CMRT. As expected, there were main effects of age showing increases in accuracy and of sex as boys outperformed girls. A main effect of set size showed that from age four until age 10 as four-cube aggregates proved to be the most economical three-dimensional (3D) object for mental rotation. Several higher-order interactions all involved four-cube aggregates, for example, 3D cube element protrusions had the largest effect in the four-cube-aggregate. We thus suggest that the magical number four (Cowan, 2001) as an attentional limit may also be valid in mental rotation and linked to the 'Good Gestalt' design of the four-cube aggregate. The cross-validation of CMRT with the RCPM showed high correlations increasing from .69 in 4- to 5-year-olds to .77 in 10- to 11-year-olds. Interestingly, 4- to 5-year-olds girls scored higher in the Raven test of nonverbal reasoning than in the CRMT scores with 3D cube aggregates demonstrating the particular complexity of 3D pictorial space. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).}, }
@article {pmid33530934, year = {2021}, author = {Zappa, G and LoMauro, A and Baranello, G and Cavallo, E and Corti, P and Mastella, C and Costantino, MA}, title = {Intellectual abilities, language comprehension, speech, and motor function in children with spinal muscular atrophy type 1.}, journal = {Journal of neurodevelopmental disorders}, volume = {13}, number = {1}, pages = {9}, pmid = {33530934}, issn = {1866-1955}, mesh = {Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cognition ; *Comprehension ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; *Muscular Atrophy, Spinal ; Retrospective Studies ; Speech ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a chronic, neuromuscular disease characterized by degeneration of spinal cord motor neurons, resulting in progressive muscular atrophy and weakness. SMA1 is the most severe form characterized by significant bulbar, respiratory, and motor dysfunction. SMA1 prevents children from speaking a clearly understandable and fluent language, with their communication being mainly characterized by eye movements, guttural sounds, and anarthria (type 1a); severe dysarthria (type 1b); and nasal voice and dyslalia (type 1c). The aim of this study was to analyze for the first time cognitive functions, language comprehension, and speech in natural history SMA1 children according to age and subtypes, to develop cognitive and language benchmarks that provide outcomes for the clinical medication trials that are changing SMA1 course/trajectory.<br><br>METHODS: This is a retrospective study including 22 children with SMA1 (10 affected by subtype 1a-1b: AB and 12 by 1c: C) aged 3-11 years in clinical stable condition with a coded way to communicate "yes" and "no". Data from the following assessments have been retrieved from patient charts: one-dimensional Raven test (RCPM), to evaluate cognitive development (IQ); ALS Severity Score (ALSSS) to evaluate speech disturbances; Brown Bellugy modified for Italian standards (TCGB) to evaluate language comprehension; and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Infant Test of Neuromuscular Disorders (CHOP-INTEND) to assess motor functioning.<br><br>RESULTS: SMA 1AB and 1C children were similar in age, with the former characterized by lower CHOP-INTEND scores compared to the latter. All 22 children had collaborated to RCPM and their median IQ was 120 with no difference (p = 0.945) between AB and C. Global median score of the speech domain of the ALSSS was 5; however, it was 2 in AB children, being significantly lower than C (6.5, p < 0.001). TCGB test had been completed by 13 children, with morphosyntactic comprehension being in the normal range (50). Although ALSSS did not correlate with both IQ and TCGB, it had a strong (p < 0.001) correlation with CHOP-INTEND described by an exponential rise to maximum.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Although speech and motor function were severely compromised, children with SMA1 showed general intelligence and language comprehension in the normal range. Speech impairment was strictly related to global motor impairment.}, }
@article {pmid33528413, year = {2021}, author = {Ge, R and Luo, Y and Gao, S and Han, Y and Chen, L and Cai, X}, title = {Reconfigurable silicon bandpass filters based on cascaded Sagnac loop mirrors.}, journal = {Optics letters}, volume = {46}, number = {3}, pages = {580-583}, doi = {10.1364/OL.410477}, pmid = {33528413}, issn = {1539-4794}, abstract = {We demonstrate a high-performance reconfigurable bandpass filter implemented by cascaded Sagnac loop mirror (SLM)-based coupled resonator optical waveguides (CROWs) on the silicon-on-insulator platform. By dynamic thermal tuning of the reflectivity in each SLM, the proposed filter can achieve simultaneous 3 dB bandwidth tuning from 8.50 to 20.25 GHz and a central wavelength tuning range of 216.25 GHz. A box-like filtering response with an ultra-high extinction ratio up to 70 dB and an ultra-sharp roll-off of 0.61 are observed in a 6th-order SLM-coupled resonator optical waveguide (SLM-CROW). The proposed reconfigurable SLM-CROW filter can satisfy the demand for next-generation flexible-grid WDM networks.}, }
@article {pmid33525382, year = {2021}, author = {Sarker, S and Athukorala, A and Bowden, TR and Boyle, DB}, title = {Genomic Characterisation of a Novel Avipoxvirus Isolated from an Endangered Yellow-Eyed Penguin (Megadyptes antipodes).}, journal = {Viruses}, volume = {13}, number = {2}, pages = {}, pmid = {33525382}, issn = {1999-4915}, mesh = {Animals ; Avipoxvirus/classification/*genetics/*isolation &amp; purification ; Bird Diseases/*virology ; Endangered Species ; Evolution, Molecular ; *Genome, Viral ; Molecular Sequence Annotation ; New Zealand ; Phylogeny ; Poxviridae Infections/*veterinary/virology ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Spheniscidae/*virology ; }, abstract = {Emerging viral diseases have become a significant concern due to their potential consequences for animal and environmental health. Over the past few decades, it has become clear that viruses emerging in wildlife may pose a major threat to vulnerable or endangered species. Diphtheritic stomatitis, likely to be caused by an avipoxvirus, has been recognised as a significant cause of mortality for the endangered yellow-eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes) in New Zealand. However, the avipoxvirus that infects yellow-eyed penguins has remained uncharacterised. Here, we report the complete genome of a novel avipoxvirus, penguinpox virus 2 (PEPV2), which was derived from a virus isolate obtained from a skin lesion of a yellow-eyed penguin. The PEPV2 genome is 349.8 kbp in length and contains 327 predicted genes; five of these genes were found to be unique, while a further two genes were absent compared to shearwaterpox virus 2 (SWPV2). In comparison with penguinpox virus (PEPV) isolated from an African penguin, there was a lack of conservation within the central region of the genome. Subsequent phylogenetic analyses of the PEPV2 genome positioned it within a distinct subclade comprising the recently isolated avipoxvirus genome sequences from shearwater, canary, and magpie bird species, and demonstrated a high degree of sequence similarity with SWPV2 (96.27%). This is the first reported genome sequence of PEPV2 from a yellow-eyed penguin and will help to track the evolution of avipoxvirus infections in this rare and endangered species.}, }
@article {pmid33523683, year = {2021}, author = {Roelofs, A}, title = {How attention controls naming: Lessons from Wundt 2.0.}, journal = {Journal of experimental psychology. General}, volume = {150}, number = {10}, pages = {1927-1955}, doi = {10.1037/xge0001030}, pmid = {33523683}, issn = {1939-2222}, mesh = {*Attention ; Humans ; }, abstract = {When models of the attentional control of vocal naming, applied to color-word Stroop and picture-word interference, were first computationally implemented and examined in 1990, an implementable model proposed by Wundt (1880, 1902) was not considered. Although these modern computer models, and more recent ones, clarify many aspects of the interference, most models fail to explain its time course, as outlined in Roelofs (2003). Wundt's (1902) model assigns a key role to top-down inhibition, which is absent in most of the modern models. Here, an implementation of his model is presented, called Wundt 2.0. The necessity of perceptual inhibition was demonstrated by computer simulations of the interference and its time course, and supported by existing evidence from oscillatory brain activity in the alpha frequency band. Moreover, a new empirical study showed that Raven scores measuring the general intelligence factor g, discovered by Wundt's student Spearman (1904), predict the magnitude of the Stroop effect in fast errors, in line with the model and evidence on alpha band activity. Also, the study provided evidence that response inhibition is absent during vocal naming in the Stroop task. To conclude, Wundt's model has stood the test of time and provides a number of enduring lessons for our understanding of attention and performance. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).}, }
@article {pmid33513947, year = {2021}, author = {Cukor, J and Linda, R and Andersen, O and Eriksen, LF and Vacek, Z and Riegert, J and Šálek, M}, title = {Evaluation of Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Predation Risk to Forest Grouse Nests in the Central European Mountain Regions.}, journal = {Animals : an open access journal from MDPI}, volume = {11}, number = {2}, pages = {}, pmid = {33513947}, issn = {2076-2615}, support = {TACR TH04030524//Technology Agency of the Czech Republic/ ; RVO 68081766//Akademie Věd České Republiky/ ; }, abstract = {We evaluated the spatiotemporal patterns of predation risk on black grouse nests using artificial nests that were monitored by camera traps in mountain areas with a small extant (Ore Mts.) and already extinct (Jeseníky Mts.) black grouse population. The overall predation rate of artificial nests was 56% and we found significant differences in survival rate courses over time between both study areas (68% Ore Mts. vs. 41%, Jeseníky Mts.). Within the time required for successful egg incubation (25 days), nest survival probability was 0.32 in the Ore Mts. and 0.59 in Jeseníky Mts. The stone marten (Martes foina) was the primary nest predator in both study areas (39% in total), followed by common raven (Corvus corax, 25%) and red fox (Vulpes vulpes, 22%). The proportion of depredated nests did not differ between habitat types (i.e., open forest interior, clearing, forest edge), but we recorded the effect of interaction of study area and habitat. In Ore Mts., the main nest predator was common raven with seven records (37%). The Eurasian jay (Garrulus glandarius) was responsible for most predation attempts in Jeseníky Mts. (five records, i.e., 83%), while in the Ore Mts., most predation attempts were done by red fox (six records, i.e., 38%).}, }
@article {pmid33503032, year = {2021}, author = {Boone, JD and Witt, C and Ammon, EM}, title = {Behavior-specific occurrence patterns of Pinyon Jays (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus) in three Great Basin study areas and significance for pinyon-juniper woodland management.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {16}, number = {1}, pages = {e0237621}, pmid = {33503032}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Behavior, Animal/physiology ; Conservation of Natural Resources/*methods ; Crows/*metabolism ; Demography ; Ecosystem ; Forests ; Juniperus/growth &amp; development ; Population Density ; Trees ; United States ; }, abstract = {The Pinyon Jay is a highly social, year-round inhabitant of pinyon-juniper and other coniferous woodlands in the western United States. Range-wide, Pinyon Jays have declined ~ 3-4% per year for at least the last half-century. Occurrence patterns and habitat use of Pinyon Jays have not been well characterized across much of the species' range, and obtaining this information is necessary for better understanding the causes of ongoing declines and determining useful conservation strategies. Additionally, it is important to better understand if and how targeted removal of pinyon-juniper woodland, a common and widespread vegetation management practice, affects Pinyon Jays. The goal of this study was to identify the characteristics of areas used by Pinyon Jays for several critical life history components in the Great Basin, which is home to nearly half of the species' global population, and to thereby facilitate the inclusion of Pinyon Jay conservation measures in the design of vegetation management projects. To accomplish this, we studied Pinyon Jays in three widely separated study areas using radio telemetry and direct observation and measured key attributes of their locations and a separate set of randomly-selected control sites using the U. S. Forest Service's Forest Inventory Analysis protocol. Data visualizations, principle components analysis, and logistic regressions of the resulting data indicated that Pinyon Jays used a distinct subset of available pinyon-juniper woodland habitat, and further suggested that Pinyon Jays used different but overlapping habitats for seed caching, foraging, and nesting. Caching was concentrated in low-elevation, relatively flat areas with low tree cover; foraging occurred at slightly higher elevations with generally moderate but variable tree cover; and nesting was concentrated in slightly higher areas with high tree and vegetation cover. All three of these Pinyon Jay behavior types were highly concentrated within the lower-elevation band of pinyon-juniper woodland close to the woodland-shrubland ecotone. Woodland removal projects in the Great Basin are often concentrated in these same areas, so it is potentially important to incorporate conservation measures informed by Pinyon Jay occurrence patterns into existing woodland management paradigms, protocols, and practices.}, }
@article {pmid33474740, year = {2021}, author = {Kersten, Y and Friedrich-Müller, B and Nieder, A}, title = {A histological study of the song system of the carrion crow (Corvus corone).}, journal = {The Journal of comparative neurology}, volume = {529}, number = {10}, pages = {2576-2595}, doi = {10.1002/cne.25112}, pmid = {33474740}, issn = {1096-9861}, mesh = {Animals ; Brain/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Crows/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Female ; Male ; Neural Pathways/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Vocalization, Animal/physiology ; }, abstract = {The song system of songbirds (oscines) is one of the best studied neuroethological model systems. So far, it has been treated as a relatively constrained sensorimotor system. Songbirds such as crows, however, are also known for their capability to cognitively control their audio-vocal system. Yet, the neuroanatomy of the corvid song system has never been explored systematically. We aim to close this scientific gap by presenting a stereotactic investigation of the extended song system of the carrion crow (Corvus corone), an oscine songbird of the corvid family that has become an interesting model system for cognitive neuroscience. In order to identify and delineate the song nuclei, the ascending auditory nuclei, and the descending vocal-motor nuclei, four stains were applied. In addition to the classical Nissl-, myelin-, and a combination of Nissl-and-myelin staining, staining for tyrosine hydroxylase was used to reveal the distribution of catecholaminergic neurons (dopaminergic, noradrenergic, and adrenergic) in the song system. We show that the crow brain contains the important song-related nuclei, including auditory input and motor output structures, and map them throughout the brain. Fiber-stained sections reveal putative connection patterns between the crow's song nuclei comparable to other songbirds.}, }
@article {pmid33471214, year = {2021}, author = {Worrell, SL and Kirschner, ML and Shatz, RS and Sengupta, S and Erickson, MG}, title = {Interdisciplinary Approaches to Survivorship with a Focus on the Low-grade and Benign Brain Tumor Populations.}, journal = {Current oncology reports}, volume = {23}, number = {2}, pages = {19}, pmid = {33471214}, issn = {1534-6269}, mesh = {Adenoma/therapy ; Brain Neoplasms/pathology/*therapy ; Cancer Survivors/*statistics &amp; numerical data ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Humans ; Meningeal Neoplasms/therapy ; Meningioma/therapy ; *Patient Care Team ; Pituitary Neoplasms/therapy ; Quality of Life/*psychology ; *Survivorship ; }, abstract = {PURPOSE OF REVIEW: "Brain tumor is a bump in the road." Sheryl Crow a famous singer was quoted talking about her meningioma, a benign brain tumor that caused her to forget her lyrics. In this review, we focus on low-grade gliomas in adults and benign brain tumors, such as meningiomas, vestibular schwannomas, and pituitary tumors, since these individuals survive a long time and morbidity is a major issue.<br><br>RECENT FINDINGS: As per the NCI dictionary definition, cancer survivorship focuses on the health and well-being of a person with cancer from the time of diagnosis until the end of life. This includes the physical, mental, emotional, social, and financial effects of cancer that begin at diagnosis and continue through treatment and beyond. The survivorship experience also includes issues related to follow-up care (including regular health and wellness checkups), late effects of treatment, cancer recurrence, second cancers, and quality of life. Family members, friends, and caregivers are also considered part of the survivorship experience (NCI Dictionary: https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms).}, }
@article {pmid33462775, year = {2021}, author = {Prinja, S and Singh, MP and Rajsekar, K and Sachin, O and Gedam, P and Nagar, A and Bhargava, B and , }, title = {Translating Research to Policy: Setting Provider Payment Rates for Strategic Purchasing under India's National Publicly Financed Health Insurance Scheme.}, journal = {Applied health economics and health policy}, volume = {19}, number = {3}, pages = {353-370}, pmid = {33462775}, issn = {1179-1896}, mesh = {Delivery of Health Care ; Health Services ; Humans ; *Insurance, Health ; *National Health Programs ; Policy ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: In 2018, the Government of India launched Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri-Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), a large tax-funded health insurance scheme. In this paper, we present findings of the Costing of Health Services in India (CHSI) study, describe the process of use of cost evidence for price-setting under AB PM-JAY, and estimate its fiscal impact.<br><br>METHODS: Reference costs were generated from the first phase of CHSI study, which sampled 11 tertiary public hospitals from 11 Indian states. Cost for Health Benefit Packages (HBPs) was estimated using mixed (top-down and bottom-up) micro-costing methods. The process adopted for price-setting under AB PM-JAY was observed. The cost of each HBP was compared with AB PM-JAY prices before and after the revision, and the budgetary impact of this revision in prices was estimated.<br><br>FINDINGS: Following the CHSI study evidence and price consultations, 61% of AB PM-JAY HBP prices were increased while 18% saw a decline in the prices. In absolute terms, the mean increase in HBP price was ₹14,000 (₹450-₹1,65,000) and a mean decline of ₹6,356 (₹200-₹74,500) was observed. Nearly 42% of the total HBPs, in 2018, had a price that was less than 50% of the true cost, which declined to 20% in 2019. The evidence-informed revision of HBP prices is estimated to have a minimal fiscal impact (0.7%) on the AB PM-JAY claims pay-out.<br><br>INTERPRETATION: Evidence-informed price-setting helped to reduce wide disparities in cost and price, as well as aligning incentives towards broader health system goals. Such strategic purchasing and price-setting requires the creation of systems of generating evidence on the cost of health services. Further research is recommended to develop a cost-function to study changes in cost with variations in time, region, prices, skill-mix and other factors.}, }
@article {pmid33457825, year = {2020}, author = {Meng, D and Zhang, Z and Li, Z and Si, Y and Guo, Q and Liu, Z and Teng, L}, title = {Complete mitochondrial genome of the spotted nutcracker Nucifraga caryocatactes (Passeriformes: Corvidae) from Shan'xi Province, China.}, journal = {Mitochondrial DNA. Part B, Resources}, volume = {5}, number = {3}, pages = {2456-2457}, pmid = {33457825}, issn = {2380-2359}, abstract = {We determined the whole mtDNA genome of the Spotted Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) in Tianlong Mountain, Shan'xi Province, China. The complete mitochondrial genome is 16,914 bp in length and consists of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGS), 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and 1 control region (D-loops). The nucleotide composition is 25.08% A, 25.08% T, 24.75% G, and 25.08% C. The result of phylogenetic analysis showed that there was close genetic relationship between N. caryocatactes and N. columbiana. It is expected that the complete mitochondrial genome presented here will contribute to the analysis of species distribution.}, }
@article {pmid33447925, year = {2021}, author = {Donzuso, G and Monastero, R and Cicero, CE and Luca, A and Mostile, G and Giuliano, L and Baschi, R and Caccamo, M and Gagliardo, C and Palmucci, S and Zappia, M and Nicoletti, A}, title = {Neuroanatomical changes in early Parkinson's disease with mild cognitive impairment: a VBM study; the Parkinson's Disease Cognitive Impairment Study (PaCoS).}, journal = {Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology}, volume = {42}, number = {9}, pages = {3723-3731}, pmid = {33447925}, issn = {1590-3478}, mesh = {Brain/diagnostic imaging ; *Cognitive Dysfunction/diagnostic imaging/etiology ; Gray Matter/diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neuropsychological Tests ; *Parkinson Disease/complications/diagnostic imaging ; }, abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is common in Parkinson's disease (PD), but the underlying pathological mechanism has not been fully understood. Voxel-based morphometry could be used to evaluate regional atrophy and its relationship with cognitive performances in early PD-MCI.<br><br>PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred and six patients with PD were recruited from a larger cohort of patients, the Parkinson's Disease Cognitive Impairment Study (PaCoS). Subject underwent a T1-3D MRI and a complete clinical and neuropsychological evaluation. Patients were divided into PD with normal cognition (PD-NC) and PD-MCI according to the MDS level II criteria-modified for PD-MCI. A subgroup of early patients with short disease duration (≤ 2 years) was also identified. VBM analysis between PD-NC and PD-MCI and between early PD-NC and PD-MCI was performed using two-sample t tests with whole-brain statistical threshold of p < 0.001 uncorrected in the entire PD group and p < 0.05 FWE inside ROIs, in the early PD.<br><br>RESULTS: Forty patients were diagnosed with MCI and 66 were PD-NC. PD-MCI patients showed significant gray matter (GM) reduction in several brain regions, including frontal gyrus, precuneus, angular gyrus, temporal lobe, and cerebellum. Early PD-MCI showed reduction in GM density in superior frontal gyrus and cerebellum. Moreover, correlation analysis between neuropsychological performances and GM volume of early PD-MCI patients showed associations between performances of Raven and superior frontal gyrus volume, Stroop time and inferior frontal gyrus volume, accuracy of Barrage and volume of precuneus.<br><br>CONCLUSION: The detection of frontal and cerebellar atrophy, even at an early stage, could be used as an early marker of PD-related cognitive impairment.}, }
@article {pmid33445579, year = {2021}, author = {Martin, C and Simonds, VW and Young, SL and Doyle, J and Lefthand, M and Eggers, MJ}, title = {Our Relationship to Water and Experience of Water Insecurity among Apsáalooke (Crow Indian) People, Montana.}, journal = {International journal of environmental research and public health}, volume = {18}, number = {2}, pages = {}, pmid = {33445579}, issn = {1660-4601}, support = {P20 GM104417/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; P20GM104417/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; 1P50ES026102/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Adult ; *Drinking Water ; Humans ; *Indians, North American ; Montana ; Water Insecurity ; Water Supply ; }, abstract = {Affordable access to safe drinking water is essential to community health, yet there is limited understanding of water insecurity among Native Americans. Therefore, the focus of this paper is to describe Apsáalooke (Crow Indian) tribal members' experiences with water insecurity. For Apsáalooke people, local rivers and springs are still vitally important for traditional cultural activities. We interviewed 30 Native American adults living on the Crow Reservation in Southeastern Montana. Participants answered six open-ended interview questions about their water access, costs of obtaining water and changes in their domestic and traditional water uses. Participants emphasized how the use of water has changed over time and described the complex challenges associated with addressing water insecurity in their community, including the importance of considering the spiritual and cultural impacts of water insecurity on health. Water insecurity is a growing global problem and more attention and efforts are needed to find appropriate and affordable solutions.}, }
@article {pmid33444862, year = {2021}, author = {Rial-Berriel, C and Acosta-Dacal, A and Cabrera Pérez, MÁ and Suárez-Pérez, A and Melián Melián, A and Zumbado, M and Henríquez Hernández, LA and Ruiz-Suárez, N and Rodriguez Hernández, Á and Boada, LD and Macías Montes, A and Luzardo, OP}, title = {Intensive livestock farming as a major determinant of the exposure to anticoagulant rodenticides in raptors of the Canary Islands (Spain).}, journal = {The Science of the total environment}, volume = {768}, number = {}, pages = {144386}, doi = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144386}, pmid = {33444862}, issn = {1879-1026}, mesh = {Animals ; Anticoagulants ; Europe ; Farms ; Livestock ; *Raptors ; *Rodenticides ; Spain ; }, abstract = {The Canary Islands (Spain) is a biodiversity hotspot, with more than 4500 registered endemic species. However, it is subject to high anthropogenic pressure that threatens its wildlife in various ways. In the context of forensic toxicological surveys, the presence of anticoagulant rodenticides (AR) has been investigated in the liver of 831 animal carcasses with georeferenced data from 2011 to May 2020. The high concentrations of toxic pesticides in carcasses and in baits found close to the corpses indicated that all the reptiles and most of the mammals tested positive for AR were intentionally poisoned, although mainly by other substances. The frequency of detection of AR in non-raptor birds (n = 343) was only 4.1%, being the Canary raven the most frequently affected species (7/97, 7.2%). On the contrary, in raptors (n = 308) the detection frequency was almost 60%, with an average of more than 2 ARs per animal. The highest concentrations were found in the common kestrel. We present for the first-time results of AR contamination in two species of raptors that are very rare in Europe, Eleonora's falcon (n = 4) and Barbary falcon (n = 13). The temporal trend of positive cases remains stable, but since the entry into force of the restriction to the concentration of the active ingredient in baits (<30 ppm), a decrease in the concentrations of these compounds in the raptors' liver has been detected. Conversely, we registered an increase in the number of ARs per animal. From the study of the geographic information system (GIS) it can be deduced that intensive livestock farms are an important determinant in the exposure of raptors to ARs. Those birds that have their territory near intensive production farms have higher levels of exposure than those of birds that live far from such facilities.}, }
@article {pmid33444031, year = {2021}, author = {Tornick, J and Gibson, B}, title = {Clark's nutcrackers (Nucifraga columbiana) use a visual barrier for cache protection.}, journal = {Journal of comparative psychology (Washington, D.C. : 1983)}, volume = {135}, number = {2}, pages = {170-175}, doi = {10.1037/com0000262}, pmid = {33444031}, issn = {1939-2087}, mesh = {Animals ; Feeding Behavior ; *Passeriformes ; *Songbirds ; }, abstract = {Previous work with corvids such as scrub jays (Aphelocoma californica) and ravens (Corvus corax) suggests that many social corvids alter their caching behavior when observed by conspecifics to protect their caches. We examined whether the Clark's nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana), an asocial corvid, can utilize a barrier to conceal its caching activities from a conspecific observer. Nutcrackers were allowed to cache nuts in a visible or concealed location in either the presence or absence of an observer. Nutcrackers were also given experience of having their caches pilfered. The nutcrackers cached significantly more nuts in the concealed compared to a visible location when observed. Importantly, nutcrackers also recovered a larger percentage of their nuts 24 hr later from a visible cache location but when the observer was no longer present. The results extend recent work suggesting that relatively nonsocial corvids, similar to their more social relatives, also engage in multiple forms of cache protection. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).}, }
@article {pmid33442816, year = {2021}, author = {Schuster, RK and Wibbelt, G}, title = {Redescription of Serratospiculum seurati Bain &amp; Mawson, 1981 (Nematoda; Diplotriaenidae) from Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus Tunstall, 1771).}, journal = {Parasitology research}, volume = {120}, number = {3}, pages = {941-948}, pmid = {33442816}, issn = {1432-1955}, mesh = {Animals ; Bird Diseases/*parasitology ; Falconiformes/*parasitology ; Female ; Male ; Mice ; Microscopy ; Pakistan ; Spirurina/*classification/cytology/isolation &amp; purification ; }, abstract = {Air sac nematodes from birds are known for more than 200 years now and Filaria attenuata was the first described species from falcons, owl and corvid birds. The superficial description and the loss of the original material made F. attenuata a species inquirenda. Seurat (1915) redescribed the species with material from lanner falcon and pallid harrier from Algeria and based on this description Bain and Mawson, Rec S Aust Mus 18:265-28, (1981) created a new species, Serratospiculum seurati, by adding some, slightly divergent, measurements. The current paper is based on light and scanning electron microscopy of five male and 10 female S. seurati specimens from a Peregrine falcon that acquired the infection in Pakistan. The length of the slender male and female nematodes varied between 42-70 and 165-221 mm, respectively, spicules of unequal shape and length measured 292-325 and 638-785 μm. S. seurati was also found in Saker, Barbary and crossbreed falcons.}, }
@article {pmid33436969, year = {2021}, author = {Amodio, P and Brea, J and Farrar, BG and Ostojić, L and Clayton, NS}, title = {Testing two competing hypotheses for Eurasian jays' caching for the future.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {11}, number = {1}, pages = {835}, pmid = {33436969}, issn = {2045-2322}, support = {BB/M011194/1/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; }, abstract = {Previous research reported that corvids preferentially cache food in a location where no food will be available or cache more of a specific food in a location where this food will not be available. Here, we consider possible explanations for these prospective caching behaviours and directly compare two competing hypotheses. The Compensatory Caching Hypothesis suggests that birds learn to cache more of a particular food in places where that food was less frequently available in the past. In contrast, the Future Planning Hypothesis suggests that birds recall the 'what-when-where' features of specific past events to predict the future availability of food. We designed a protocol in which the two hypotheses predict different caching patterns across different caching locations such that the two explanations can be disambiguated. We formalised the hypotheses in a Bayesian model comparison and tested this protocol in two experiments with one of the previously tested species, namely Eurasian jays. Consistently across the two experiments, the observed caching pattern did not support either hypothesis; rather it was best explained by a uniform distribution of caches over the different caching locations. Future research is needed to gain more insight into the cognitive mechanism underpinning corvids' caching for the future.}, }
@article {pmid33436920, year = {2021}, author = {Zhang, Y and Yu, C and Chen, L and Li, Z}, title = {Performance of Azure-winged magpies in Aesop's fable paradigm.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {11}, number = {1}, pages = {804}, pmid = {33436920}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Animals ; Behavior, Animal/*physiology ; Cognition/*physiology ; Learning/*physiology ; Passeriformes/*physiology ; Problem Solving/*physiology ; }, abstract = {In this study, the improved Aesop's fable paradigm-a series of experiments originally used to test whether some animals understand the causality associated with water replacement-was used to explore the cognitive ability of Azure-winged magpies (Cyanopica cyanus). Experimental results on causal cue tasks showed that the Azure-winged magpies prefer water-filled tubes over sand-filled tubes, heavy objects over light objects, and solid objects over hollow objects. However, they failed to notice the diameter and water level of the tubes. They also failed to pass the counterintuitive U-shaped tube task in arbitrary cue tasks. Our results demonstrated that Azure-winged magpies have a certain cognitive ability but not an understanding of causality, a characteristic comparable to that of other corvids. Moreover, Azure-winged magpies exhibited the ability of training transfer and analogical problem solving from the perspective of cognitive psychology. We believe that object-bias has little effect on Azure-winged magpies in this study. We can conclude that the Azure-winged magpies partially completed the tasks by trial-and-error learning.}, }
@article {pmid33424476, year = {2021}, author = {Mazzia, F and De Armond, M}, title = {Causality dilemma: creating a twenty-first century university archive.}, journal = {Journal of the Medical Library Association : JMLA}, volume = {109}, number = {1}, pages = {137-140}, doi = {10.5195/jmla.2021.1056}, pmid = {33424476}, issn = {1558-9439}, mesh = {*Archives ; Computer-Assisted Instruction/standards ; Hospitals, University/*organization &amp; administration ; Humans ; Information Storage and Retrieval/*standards ; Libraries, Digital/*organization &amp; administration ; Universities ; }, abstract = {For its fifteenth anniversary, the Jay Sexter Library at Touro University Nevada (TUN) sought ways to capture its institutional history by founding an archive. Among many challenges, the library struggled to convince the administration of the importance of an archive. To generate interest in TUN's history, a task force comprising library, executive administration, and advancement staff hosted and recorded a panel event with some of the university's original faculty, staff, and administration. By having this event, new TUN employees were able to experience the shared knowledge of TUN's early days, and the library was able to create and preserve its own institutional history.}, }
@article {pmid33424448, year = {2020}, author = {Sehanovic, A and Smajlovic, D and Tupkovic, E and Ibrahimagic, OC and Kunic, S and Dostovic, Z and Zoletic, E and Pasic, Z}, title = {Cognitive Disorders in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis.}, journal = {Materia socio-medica}, volume = {32}, number = {3}, pages = {191-195}, pmid = {33424448}, issn = {1512-7680}, abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, inflammatory, (auto) immune disease of the central nervous system (CNS). Cognitive disorders are found in over 50% of patients.<br><br>AIM: The aim of the study was to determine the distribution of cognitive disorders in people with MS.<br><br>METHODS: The prospective study included 135 respondents with MS and 50 healthy respondents. The respondents were divided into three groups: the first group consisted of 85 respondents where the disease lasted longer than one year, the second group consisted of 50 respondents with newly diagnosed MS, the third group consisted of 50 healthy respondents. Clinical assessment instruments were: Extended Disability Score in Multiple Sclerosis Patients, Mini Mental Status, Battery of Tests to Assess Cognitive Functions: Wechsler Intelligence Scale, Revised Beta Test, Raven Colored Progressive Matrices, Wechsler Memory Scale, Rey Audio Verbal Learning Test -Osterriecht's complex character test, verbal fluency test.<br><br>RESULTS: Cognitive disorders were present in 40-60% of respondents with MS. Visuospatial, visuoconstructive and visuoperceptive functions are worse in the first group. Mnestic functions (learning process, short-term and long-term memory, recollection, verbal-logical memory) were most affected in both groups of respondents, ranging from 30-60%. Poorer cognitive domains are in the first groups of respondents. Immediate working process memory (current learning), memory, attention, short-term and logical memory is worse in the examinees of the first group. At the beginning of the disease, 16% had verbal fluency difficulties, and as the disease progresses, the difficulties become more pronounced.<br><br>CONCLUSION: Cognitive disorders are heterogeneous, they can be noticed in the early stages of the disease. They refer to impairments of working memory, executive functions and attention, while global intellectual efficiency is later reduced.}, }
@article {pmid33420859, year = {2021}, author = {Wenig, K and Boucherie, PH and Bugnyar, T}, title = {Early evidence for emotional play contagion in juvenile ravens.}, journal = {Animal cognition}, volume = {24}, number = {4}, pages = {717-729}, pmid = {33420859}, issn = {1435-9456}, support = {W1262-B29//Austrian Science Fund/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; *Crows ; Emotions ; Empathy ; Social Behavior ; }, abstract = {Perceiving, evaluating and reacting towards conspecifics' emotional states are important challenges of social group living. Emotional contagion describes an alignment of emotional states between individuals and is widely believed to be based on behavioral synchronization, i.e., behavioral contagion. As basic empathy-like processes, the occurrence of both forms of contagion seems to underlie early ontogenetic trajectories in humans and non-human species. In the present study, we assessed play as a context for studying the development of emotional contagion and its interlink with behavioral contagion in ten juvenile common ravens. Ravens are exceptional players that engage in all three forms of play: object, locomotion and social play. To assess potential ontogenetic patterns of both behavioral and emotional contagion, we tested juvenile ravens at two different periods of early development, at three- and six-month post-hatching. We elicited object play in one or several ravens (demonstrators) in a standardized experimental environment, using a playground setup. At both test ages, we found evidence for emotional contagion as observer ravens showed an increase of locomotion and social play after we provided the demonstrator(s) with the playground setup, but no significant changes in the amount of object play. Hence, observers did not copy motor patterns from demonstrator(s) but engaged in other forms of play. Our findings speak for a transfer of a general mood state in the context of play in ravens as young as 3 months and against behavioral mimicry as a precondition for emotional contagion.}, }
@article {pmid33420703, year = {2021}, author = {Gallego-Abenza, M and Blum, CR and Bugnyar, T}, title = {Who is crying wolf? Seasonal effect on antipredator response to age-specific alarm calls in common ravens, Corvus corax.}, journal = {Learning &amp; behavior}, volume = {49}, number = {1}, pages = {159-167}, pmid = {33420703}, issn = {1543-4508}, support = {P 29705/FWF_/Austrian Science Fund FWF/Austria ; }, mesh = {Age Factors ; Animals ; *Crows ; *Predatory Behavior ; Seasons ; *Vocalization, Animal ; }, abstract = {Communication about threats including those posed by the presence of predators occurs mainly through acoustic signals called alarm calls. The comprehension of these calls by receivers and their rapid antipredator response are crucial in terms of survival. However, to avoid overreaction, individuals should evaluate whether or not an antipredator response is needed by paying attention to who is calling. For instance, we could expect adults to be more experienced with predator encounters than juveniles and thus elicit stronger antipredator responses in others when alarming. Similarly, we could expect a stronger response to alarm calls when more than one individual is calling. To test these assumptions, we applied a playback experiment to wild ravens, in which we manipulated the age class (adult or juvenile) and the number (one or two) of the callers. Our results revealed a seasonal effect of age class but no effect of number of callers. Specifically, the ravens responded with stronger antipredator behaviour (vigilance posture) towards alarm calls from adults as compared to juveniles in summer and autumn, but not in spring. We discuss alternative interpretations for this unexpected seasonal pattern and argue for more studies on call-based communication in birds to understand what type of information is relevant under which conditions.}, }
@article {pmid33402613, year = {2020}, author = {Kumar, RK and Reddy, KS and Reddy, NV and Karthik, T and Reddy, MA and Nagakishore, }, title = {Relationship between dental fluorosis and I.Q of school going children aged 10-12 years in and around Nalgonda district-A cross-sectional study.}, journal = {Journal of the Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry}, volume = {38}, number = {4}, pages = {332-337}, doi = {10.4103/JISPPD.JISPPD_160_20}, pmid = {33402613}, issn = {1998-3905}, mesh = {Aged ; Child ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Fluorides/adverse effects ; *Fluorosis, Dental/epidemiology ; Humans ; India/epidemiology ; Prevalence ; Schools ; Water Supply ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: The fluoride ion toxicity has been associated with both dental fluorosis and neurotoxicity; dental fluorosis has tended to be considered with respect to tooth appearance and function rather than as a marker for neurotoxicity.<br><br>AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the intelligence quotient (IQ) of school-going children aged 10-12 years in villages of Nalgonda district with different fluoride levels.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among the permanent residents of Nalgonda district of Telangana state, India. A total of 480 government schoolchildren aged 10-12 years were selected by stratified random sampling from three different areas with different levels of naturally occurring fluoride in drinking water. Intelligence levels were assessed by conducting the Ravens standard progressive matrices test (1991 edition).<br><br>STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA), Student's t-test, and Krustal-Wallis ANOVA. A logistic regression model was performed (SPSS version; 21(IBM corporation, Chicago,IL, USA)).<br><br>RESULTS: The mean IQ levels were more in the villages with low fluoride concentration in drinking water (15.26) compared to villages with medium fluoride content (12.91) and high fluoride content (9.1). A significant statistical association was found (P < 0.001).<br><br>CONCLUSION: The overall IQ levels in children exposed to high fluoride level significantly lower than the low fluoride areas. Thus, children intelligence can be affected by high water fluoride levels.}, }
@article {pmid33391363, year = {2020}, author = {Gao, LF and Zhang, W and Zhang, HY and Zhu, ZQ and Zhang, XD and Du, B}, title = {Parental dependence on the nest's spatial cues in offspring recognition decreases with nestling growth in the azure-winged magpie.}, journal = {Current zoology}, volume = {66}, number = {6}, pages = {643-648}, pmid = {33391363}, issn = {1674-5507}, abstract = {In altricial birds, to address which cues are used by parents to recognize their offspring, and when they switch between cues during reproduction, it has not been well determined. In this study, we address this question in a Tibetan population of the azure-winged magpie Cyanopica cyanus, by examining the dependence of parents on a nest's spatial position in offspring recognition. During the egg and nestling phases, azure-winged magpie nests were translocated to new positions across various distances from their original site, and parental responses to the translocated nests were investigated. Our findings show that a nest's spatial position is not connected with the survival of its young, but might be used as a cue in parental offspring recognition. When nests are translocated to a new position within a certain distance, parents could recognize their nests and returned to resume their parenting behaviors. Parental dependence on the nest's spatial position in offspring recognition is higher during the egg phase than during the nestling phase, and it decreases with the growth of nestlings. After nestlings reach a certain age, the nest' s spatial position was no longer used by parents as the single cue for offspring recognition. These findings suggest that azure-winged magpies switch their cues in offspring recognition during the different stages of reproduction. After parent-offspring communication has been established, the offspring's phenotypic traits may become a more reliable cue than the nest's spatial position in offspring recognition.}, }
@article {pmid33385935, year = {2021}, author = {Sarker, S and Athukorala, A and Raidal, SR}, title = {Molecular characterisation of a novel pathogenic avipoxvirus from an Australian passerine bird, mudlark (Grallina cyanoleuca).}, journal = {Virology}, volume = {554}, number = {}, pages = {66-74}, doi = {10.1016/j.virol.2020.12.011}, pmid = {33385935}, issn = {1096-0341}, mesh = {Animals ; *Avipoxvirus/classification/genetics/pathogenicity/ultrastructure ; Bird Diseases/pathology/*virology ; Evolution, Molecular ; Genes, Viral ; Genome, Viral ; Passeriformes/*virology ; Phylogeny ; Poxviridae Infections/pathology/*veterinary/virology ; Virion/ultrastructure ; }, abstract = {Avipoxviruses have been recognised as significant pathogens in the conservation of numerous bird species. However, the vast majority of the avipoxviruses that infect wild birds remain uncharacterised. Here, we characterise a novel avipoxvirus, mudlarkpox virus (MLPV) isolated from an Australian passerine bird, mudlark (Grallina cyanoleuca). In this study, tissues with histopathologically confirmed lesions consistent with avian pox were used for transmission electron microscopy, and showed characteristic ovoid to brick-shaped virions, indicative of infectious particles. The MLPV genome was >342.7 Kbp in length and contained six predicted novel genes and a further six genes were missing compared to shearwaterpox virus-2 (SWPV-2). Subsequent phylogenetic analyses of the MLPV genome positioned the virus within a distinct subclade also containing recently characterised avipoxvirus genomes from shearwater, canary and magpie bird species, and demonstrated a high degree of sequence similarity with SWPV-2 (94.92%).}, }
@article {pmid33378223, year = {2021}, author = {Lizzio, VA and Smith, DG and Guo, EW and Cross, AG and Gulledge, CM and Koolmees, DS and Chalmers, PN and Makhni, EC}, title = {The Effect of the Crow Hop on Elbow Stress During an Interval Throwing Program.}, journal = {The American journal of sports medicine}, volume = {49}, number = {2}, pages = {359-363}, doi = {10.1177/0363546520976629}, pmid = {33378223}, issn = {1552-3365}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Adult ; *Baseball ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Elbow ; Elbow Joint/*physiology ; Humans ; Torque ; Young Adult ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Postoperative rehabilitation protocols after ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction typically involve a structured interval throwing program. In an effort to minimize torque placed on the UCL, athletes are often instructed to throw with a crow hop, even at short throwing distances. However, the effect of the crow hop on medial elbow stress is unknown.<br><br>PURPOSE/HYPOTHESIS: The purpose was to determine whether elbow stress differs with and without a crow hop across the throwing distances of a typical interval throwing program. We hypothesized that crow hop throws would generate lower torque on the elbow than standing throws at each distance of the interval throwing program.<br><br>STUDY DESIGN: Controlled laboratory study.<br><br>METHODS: Healthy high school and collegiate pitchers and position players were recruited from the surrounding area. Each player was outfitted with a wearable athletic sleeve and device that recorded elbow torque (Newton-meters), arm slot (degrees), arm speed (revolutions per minute), and shoulder rotation (degrees). Ball velocity (miles per hour) was measured using a radar gun. Players were instructed to perform 3 crow hop throws and 3 standing throws at distances of 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 150, and 180 feet. A repeated measures analysis of variance was used to compare ball velocity, elbow torque, arm slot, arm speed, and shoulder rotation between crow hop and standing throws at each throwing distance.<br><br>RESULTS: Twenty athletes participated in this study (average age, 17.8 years; range, 15-25 years). The average medial elbow torque increased at each distance for both crow hop and standing throws at distances of 30, 45, 60, and 90 feet (P < .05), after which there were no significant increases in elbow torque (P > .05). The average torque was higher for crow hop throws than standing throws at distances of 30 feet (13.9 N·m vs 12.0 N·m; P = .002), 45 feet (21.8 N·m vs 19.3 N·m; P = .005), and 60 feet (28.0 N·m vs 24.5 N·m; P = .02).<br><br>CONCLUSION: Crow hop throws generated greater medial elbow torque than standing throws at distances up to 60 feet; however, there were no differences in elbow torque at distances greater than 60 feet between the 2 throw types. For both crow hop and standing throws, elbow stress increased at each distance interval up to 90 feet before plateauing at distances greater than 90 feet. The crow hop throwing technique does not reduce medial elbow stress during a simulated interval throwing program, and it may actually increase torque at shorter throwing distances.<br><br>CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The results of our study indicate that it would be prudent for players to initially perform standing throws at shorter distances and only later be allowed to employ a natural crow hop at greater distances to minimize torque placed on the medial elbow during UCL rehabilitation protocols.}, }
@article {pmid33372273, year = {2021}, author = {Blakey, ML}, title = {Understanding racism in physical (biological) anthropology.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {175}, number = {2}, pages = {316-325}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.24208}, pmid = {33372273}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {*Anthropology, Physical ; Humans ; *Racism ; }, abstract = {The mainstream of American physical anthropology began as racist and eugenical science that defended slavery, restricted "non-Nordic" immigration, and justified Jim Crow segregation. After World War II, the field became more anti-racial than anti-racist. It has continued as a study of natural influences on human variation and thus continues to evade the social histories of inequitable biological variation. Also reflecting its occupancy of white space, biological anthropology continues to deny its own racist history and marginalizes the contributions of Blacks. Critical disciplinary history and a shift toward biocultural studies might begin an anti-racist human biology.}, }
@article {pmid33367109, year = {2020}, author = {Kryukov, AP and Spiridonova, LN and Tyunin, AP and Kryukov, KA and Dorda, BA}, title = {Complete mitochondrial genomes of five subspecies of the Eurasian magpie Pica pica, obtained with Oxford Nanopore MinION, and their interpretation regarding intraspecific taxonomy.}, journal = {Mitochondrial DNA. Part B, Resources}, volume = {5}, number = {3}, pages = {3810-3811}, pmid = {33367109}, issn = {2380-2359}, abstract = {The complete mitochondrial (mt) genomes of five subspecies of the Eurasian (Common) magpie Pica pica were determined for the first time. Lengths of the circular genomes comprise 13 protein-coding genes, two rRNA genes (for 12S rRNA and 16S rRNA), 22 tRNA genes, and the non-coding control region (CR). Gene content and lengths of the genomes (16,936-16,945 bp) are similar to typical vertebrate mt genomes. The subspecies studied differs by several single substitutions and indels, especially in the CR. The phylogenetic tree based on complete mt genomes shows a deep divergence of the two groups of subspecies which supports the proposed division into two distinct species: P. pica and P. serica.}, }
@article {pmid33366575, year = {2020}, author = {Zhao, C and Dou, H and Du, P and Liu, Z and Zhang, L and Zhang, H}, title = {The complete mitochondrial genome of Daurian jackdaw (Corvus dauuricus).}, journal = {Mitochondrial DNA. Part B, Resources}, volume = {5}, number = {1}, pages = {400-401}, pmid = {33366575}, issn = {2380-2359}, abstract = {In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of Daurian jackdaw (Corvus dauuricus, Pallas, 1776) was sequenced and deposited to GeneBank for the first time using muscle tissue. This mitochondrial genome is a circular molecule of 16921 bp in length and sequence analysis showed it contains 2 rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes and D_loop. The phylogenetic analysis basis of 12 protein-coding genes except for ND6 gene of 13 species shows that most of the genus of Corvus were grouped into two clades, and C. dauuricus was basal to all other Corvus.}, }
@article {pmid33366551, year = {2019}, author = {Iqbal, F and Ayub, Q and Song, BK and Wilson, R and Fahim, M and Rahman, S}, title = {Sequence and phylogeny of the complete mitochondrial genome of the Himalayan jungle crow (Corvidae: Corvus macrorhynchos intermedius) from Pakistan.}, journal = {Mitochondrial DNA. Part B, Resources}, volume = {5}, number = {1}, pages = {348-350}, pmid = {33366551}, issn = {2380-2359}, abstract = {Corvus macrorhynchos formerly referred to as the jungle crow or the large-billed crow is a polytypic species with unresolved taxonomy, comprising various subspecies widespread across South, Southeast, and East Asia. In this study, we report the complete mitogenome of one of these subspecies, Corvus macrorhynchos intermedius (Himalaya crow), from Pakistan. The mitochondrial genome is circular, 16,927 bp and contains typical animal mitochondrial genes (13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA, and 22 transfer RNA) and one non-coding region (D-loop) with a nucleotide content of A (30.6%), T (24.8%), G (14.8%), and C (29.8%). Phylogenetic analysis using the whole mitochondrial genome showed that C. m. intermedius and only reported subspecies Corvus macrorhynchos culminatus (Indian Jungle crow) are genetically distinct and it supports the recognition of the latter as a separate biospecies.}, }
@article {pmid33362034, year = {2021}, author = {Kumar, RR and Tsang, HK}, title = {High-extinction CROW filters for scalable quantum photonics.}, journal = {Optics letters}, volume = {46}, number = {1}, pages = {134-137}, doi = {10.1364/OL.409784}, pmid = {33362034}, issn = {1539-4794}, abstract = {We report an integrated tunable-bandwidth optical filter with a passband to stop-band ratio of over 96 dB using a single silicon chip with an ultra-compact footprint. The integrated filter is used in filtering out the pump photons in non-degenerate spontaneous four-wave mixing (SFWM), which is used for producing correlated photon pairs at different wavelengths. SFWM occurs in a long silicon waveguide, and two cascaded second-order coupled-resonator optical waveguide (CROW) filters were used to spectrally remove the pump photons. The tunable bandwidth of the filter is useful to adjust the coherence time of the quantum correlated photons and may find applications in large-scale integrated quantum photonic circuits.}, }
@article {pmid33360592, year = {2021}, author = {Zhao, L and Yu, C and Lv, J and Cui, Y and Wang, Y and Hou, C and Yu, J and Guo, B and Liu, H and Li, L}, title = {Fluoride exposure, dopamine relative gene polymorphism and intelligence: A cross-sectional study in China.}, journal = {Ecotoxicology and environmental safety}, volume = {209}, number = {}, pages = {111826}, doi = {10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.111826}, pmid = {33360592}, issn = {1090-2414}, mesh = {Child ; China/epidemiology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Dopamine/*genetics ; Drinking Water ; Environmental Exposure/*statistics &amp; numerical data ; Female ; Fluorides/analysis/*toxicity ; Genotype ; Humans ; Intelligence/*drug effects ; Intelligence Tests ; Male ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Excessive fluoride exposure is related to adverse health outcomes, but whether dopamine (DA) relative genes are involved in the health effect of low-moderate fluoride exposure on children's intelligence remain unclear.<br><br>OBJECTIVES: We conducted a cross-sectional study to explore the role of DA relative genes in the health effect of low-moderate fluoride exposure in drinking water.<br><br>METHODS: We recruited 567 resident children, aged 6-11 years old, randomly from endemic and non-endemic fluorosis areas in Tianjin, China. Spot urine samples were tested for urinary fluoride concentration, combined Raven`s test was used for intelligence quotient test. Fasting venous blood were collected to analyze ANKK1 Taq1A (rs1800497), COMT Val158Met (rs4680), DAT1 40 bp VNTR and MAOA uVNTR. Multivariable linear regression models were used to assess associations between fluoride exposure and IQ scores. We applied multiplicative and additive models to appraise single gene-environment interaction. Generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction (GMDR) was used to evaluate high-dimensional interactions of gene-gene and gene-environment.<br><br>RESULTS: In adjusted model, fluoride exposure was inversely associated with IQ scores (β = -5.957, 95% CI: -9.712, -2.202). The mean IQ scores of children with high-activity MAOA genotype was significantly lower than IQ scores of those with low-activity (P = 0.006) or female heterozygote (P = 0.016) genotype. We detected effect modification by four DA relative genes (ANKK1, COMT, DAT1 and MAOA) on the association between UF and IQ scores. We also found a high-dimensional gene-environment interaction among UF, ANKK1, COMT and MAOA on the effect of IQ (testing balanced accuracy = 0.5302, CV consistency: 10/10, P = 0.0107).<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests DA relative genes may modify the association between fluoride and intelligence, and a potential interaction among fluoride exposure and DA relative genes on IQ.}, }
@article {pmid33347694, year = {2020}, author = {Sutton, AO and Strickland, D and Freeman, NE and Norris, DR}, title = {Climate-driven carry-over effects negatively influence population growth rate in a food-caching boreal passerine.}, journal = {Global change biology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1111/gcb.15445}, pmid = {33347694}, issn = {1365-2486}, support = {//Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada/ ; //Society of Canadian Ornithologists/ ; //University of Guelph/ ; //Government of Ontario/ ; //Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry/ ; //Wildlife Conservation Society/ ; //Bird Studies Canada/ ; //Ontario Parks/ ; //W. Garfield Weston Foundation/ ; }, abstract = {Understanding how events throughout the annual cycle are linked is important for predicting variation in individual fitness, but whether and how carry-over effects scale up to influence population dynamics is poorly understood. Using 38 years of demographic data from Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, and a full annual cycle integrated population model, we examined the influence of environmental conditions and density on the population growth rate of Canada jays (Perisoreus canadensis), a resident boreal passerine that relies on perishable cached food for over-winter survival and late-winter breeding. Our results demonstrate that fall environmental variables, most notably the number of freeze-thaw events, carried over to influence late-winter fecundity, which, in turn, was the main vital rate driving population growth. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that warmer and more variable fall conditions accelerate the degradation of perishable stored food that is relied upon for successful reproduction. Future warming during the fall and winter may compromise the viability of cached food that requires consistent subzero temperatures for effective preservation, potentially exacerbating climate-driven carry-over effects that impact long-term population dynamics.}, }
@article {pmid33341038, year = {2021}, author = {Zhao, L and Higuchi, T and Kanamori, M and Natsuike, M and Misaka, N and Murakami-Sugihara, N and Tanaka, K and Shirai, K}, title = {Identification of timing of scallop morphological deformity and mortality from shell oxygen isotope records.}, journal = {Marine environmental research}, volume = {163}, number = {}, pages = {105149}, doi = {10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.105149}, pmid = {33341038}, issn = {1879-0291}, mesh = {Animals ; *Bivalvia ; Humans ; Japan ; Oxygen Isotopes ; *Pectinidae ; Seawater ; }, abstract = {The Yesso scallop, Patinopecten yessoensis (Jay), is one of the most important bivalve species in the Japanese and Chinese mariculture industry. In recent years, however, high incidences of scallop shell deformity and mortality have occurred with increasing frequency, but timing of onset and underlying causes are often unclear. Here, we proposed a promising δ18Oshell-based method for constraining the onset of shell deformity and mortality of P. yessoensis. Following six months of intermediate suspension culture in Funka Bay, Northern Japan, shells from healthy, deformed and dead scallops were randomly sampled. High-resolution seawater temperature time-series computed from healthy scallop shell δ18O profiles were precisely and temporally aligned to the instrumental temperature curve, thus allowing δ18Oshell-derived temperature time-series from deformed and dead scallops to be contextualized and allowing timing of scallop deformity and death to be retrieved. Irrespective of scallop shell length, onsets of deformity were anchored in February, and since then deformed scallops grew slowly in comparison to healthy individuals. Without exception, however, dead scallops had already ceased their shell building and died before February, indicating different underlying causes of scallop deformity and mortality. Perhaps most promisingly, considering that shells do not have any isotopic turn-over and once formed, temperature information is locked in. Thus, this approach holds great promise for identifying time anchor points (onsets of deformity and death) in archived scallops collected over different time scales, especially during massive mortality events.}, }
@article {pmid33321971, year = {2020}, author = {Kaplan, G}, title = {Of Great Apes and Magpies: Initiations into Animal Behaviour.}, journal = {Animals : an open access journal from MDPI}, volume = {10}, number = {12}, pages = {}, pmid = {33321971}, issn = {2076-2615}, abstract = {This paper presents three case studies of exceptional human encounters with animals. These particular examples were selected because they enabled analysis of the underlying reasons that led the human participants to respond in new ways to their animal counterparts. The question asked here is whether sudden insights into the needs and abilities of an animal arises purely from an anthropocentric position as empathy because of genetic closeness (e.g., chimpanzees) or is something else and whether new insights can be applied to other phylogenetic orders not close to us, e.g., birds, and change research questions and implicit prejudices and stereotypes. Particularly in avian species, phylogenetically distant from humans, the prejudices (anthroprocentric position) and the belief in human uniqueness (human exceptionalism) might be greater than in the reactions to primates. Interestingly, in studies of great apes, contradictory opinions and controversies about cognitive abilities, especially when compared with humans, tend to be pronounced. Species appropriateness in test designs are desirable present and future goals but here it is suggested how different experiences can also lead to different questions that explode the myth of human uniqueness and then arrive at entirely different and new results in cognitive and affective abilities of the species under investigation.}, }
@article {pmid33316356, year = {2021}, author = {Aastrup, C and Hegemann, A}, title = {Jackdaw nestlings rapidly increase innate immune function during the nestling phase but no evidence for a trade-off with growth.}, journal = {Developmental and comparative immunology}, volume = {117}, number = {}, pages = {103967}, doi = {10.1016/j.dci.2020.103967}, pmid = {33316356}, issn = {1879-0089}, mesh = {Adaptive Immunity/*immunology ; Age Factors ; Animals ; Body Size/*immunology ; Crows/growth &amp; development/*immunology ; Female ; Immune System/growth &amp; development/*immunology ; Immunity, Innate/*immunology ; Male ; }, abstract = {Although animals are born with a protective immune system, even the innate immune system is under development from birth to adulthood and this development may be affected by sex and growth. However, most knowledge comes from captive animals or long-lived slow growing species. Moreover, little is known about how innate immune function, the important first line of defence, develops during early life in fast-growing animals such as free-living passerines. We studied development of innate baseline immune function in nestlings of free-living jackdaws Corvus monedula. We measured four immune parameters (hemolysis, hemagglutination, bacterial-killing capacity, haptoglobin concentration) and structural body size (body mass, wing length, tarsus length) at day 12 and day 29 post-hatching. We found that three out of four immune parameters (hemolysis, hemagglutination, bacterial-killing capacity) substantially increased with nestling age and had roughly reached adult levels shortly prior to fledging. We found little differences in immune development between males and females despite them differing in structural development. We also found no evidence that the nestlings traded off immune development with growth. That nestlings rapidly increase innate baseline immune function during early life and similarly in males and females indicates the importance of a well-functioning immune system already during the nestling phase.}, }
@article {pmid33311334, year = {2020}, author = {Mori, A and Bertani, R}, title = {Revision and cladistic analysis of Psalistops Simon, 1889, Trichopelma Simon, 1888 and Cyrtogrammomma Pocock, 1895 (Araneae: Theraphosidae) based on a cladistic analysis of relationships of Theraphosidae, Barychelidae and Paratropididae.}, journal = {Zootaxa}, volume = {4873}, number = {1}, pages = {zootaxa.4873.1.1}, doi = {10.11646/zootaxa.4873.1.1}, pmid = {33311334}, issn = {1175-5334}, mesh = {Animal Distribution ; Animals ; Fossils ; *Spiders ; }, abstract = {The genera Psalistops Simon, 1889, Trichopelma, Simon, 1888 and Cyrtogrammomma Pocock, 1895 are revised and included in cladistics analyses including almost all species of these genera. In order to test previous morphological hypotheses on the relationships of Barychelidae, Paratropididae and Theraphosidae and because of the controversial taxonomic position of Psalistops and Trichopelma, a set of terminal taxa representing all subfamilies of Paratropididae (Paratropidinae, Glabropelmatinae), Barychelidae (Barychelinae, Sasoninae, Trichopelmatinae) and most theraphosid subfamilies were included, as well as a diplurid, a nemesiid, and a pycnothelid, the later used to root the cladogram. The matrix with 66 terminal taxa, 2 continuous and 93 discrete characters was analysed with TNT 1.5. We found that Trichopelmatinae is not a monophyletic group, and Psalistops is transferred to Theraphosidae, as well as the barychelid genus Cyrtogrammomma and the paratropidid genus Melloina Brignoli. Cyrtogrammomma was retrieved as the sister group of Trichopelma, and Melloina as the sister group of Holothele Karsch. Psalistops was retrieved as the sister group of Reichlingia Rudloff, and the clade with these two genera is the most basal in Theraphosidae. Barychelidae was found to be monophyletic and the sister group of Theraphosidae. Paratropididae was retrieved as the sister group of Barychelidae + Theraphosidae. The relationship and possible synapomorphies of the three families are herein discussed. This is the first time since Raven (1985) that representatives of all barychelid (Barychelinae, Sasoninae, Trichopelmatinae), paratropidid (Paratropidinae, Glabropelmatinae) and most theraphosid subfamilies have been included in a morphological cladistic analysis. Psalistops comprises two species, P. melanopygius Simon, 1889 (type species) and P. colombianus sp. nov. Psalistops montigena Simon, 1889, P. tigrinus Simon, 1889 and P. zonatus Simon, 1889 are synonymized with P. melanopygius Simon, 1889. Psalistops fulvus Bryant, 1948, P. hispaniolensis Wunderlich, 1988 (fossil), P. maculosus Bryant, 1948, P. venadensis Valerio, 1986 and P. steini (Simon, 1889) are transferred to Trichopelma. Psalistops gasci Maréchal, 1996 is transferred to Hapalopus Ausserer (Theraphosidae); P. opifex (Simon, 1889) and P. solitarius (Simon, 1889) are transferred to Schismatothele Karsch, 1879 (Theraphosidae). Schismatothele solitarius (Simon, 1889) n. comb. is synonymized with Schismatothele lineata Karsch, 1879, n. syn. Psalistops nigrifemuratus Mello-Leitão, 1939 is probably a nemesiid or pycnothelid, and herein considered as nomen dubium in Pycnothelidae. Trichopelma comprises 22 species: Trichopelma nitidum Simon, 1888 (type species), T. coenobita (Simon, 1889), T. steini (Simon, 1889), T. affine (Simon, 1892), T. cubanum (Simon, 1903), T. maculatum (Banks, 1906), T. zebra (Petrunkevitch, 1925), T. banksia Özdikmen Demir, 2012, T. insulanum (Petrunkevitch, 1926), T. fulvus (Bryant, 1948) n. comb., T. laselva Valerio, 1986, T. venadensis (Valerio, 1986) n. comb., T. huffi sp. nov., T. gabrieli sp. nov., T. tostoi sp. nov., T. goloboffi sp. nov., T. juventud sp. nov., T. laurae sp. nov., T.bimini sp. nov., T. loui sp. nov., T. platnicki sp. nov., and T. hispaniolensis Wunderlich, 1988 n. comb. (fossil). Trichopelma maculosus (Bryant, 1948) n. comb. is synonymized with P. fulvus Bryant, 1948; T. corozalis (Petrunkevitch, 1929) is synonymized with T. insulanum (Petrunkevitch, 1926). Trichopelma astutum Simon, 1889 is transferred to Euthycaelus Simon, 1889, and T. maddeni Esposito Agnarsson, 2014 to Holothele Karsch, 1879 (Theraphosidae). Trichopelma flavicomum Simon, 1891 is transferred to Neodiplothele (Barychelidae, Sasoninae). The species T. illetabile Simon, 1888, T. spinosum (Franganillo, 1926), T. scopulatum (Fischel, 1927) and T. eucubanum Özdikmen Demir, 2012 are considered as nomina dubia. Cyrtogrammomma comprises two species: C. monticola Pocock, 1895 (type species) and C. raveni sp. nov.}, }
@article {pmid33305388, year = {2021}, author = {Dussex, N and Kutschera, VE and Wiberg, RAW and Parker, DJ and Hunt, GR and Gray, RD and Rutherford, K and Abe, H and Fleischer, RC and Ritchie, MG and Rutz, C and Wolf, JBW and Gemmell, NJ}, title = {A genome-wide investigation of adaptive signatures in protein-coding genes related to tool behaviour in New Caledonian and Hawaiian crows.}, journal = {Molecular ecology}, volume = {30}, number = {4}, pages = {973-986}, doi = {10.1111/mec.15775}, pmid = {33305388}, issn = {1365-294X}, support = {BB/G023913/2/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Crows/genetics ; Hawaii ; *Life History Traits ; *Tool Use Behavior ; }, abstract = {Very few animals habitually manufacture and use tools. It has been suggested that advanced tool behaviour co-evolves with a suite of behavioural, morphological and life history traits. In fact, there are indications for such an adaptive complex in tool-using crows (genus Corvus species). Here, we sequenced the genomes of two habitually tool-using and ten non-tool-using crow species to search for genomic signatures associated with a tool-using lifestyle. Using comparative genomic and population genetic approaches, we screened for signals of selection in protein-coding genes in the tool-using New Caledonian and Hawaiian crows. While we detected signals of recent selection in New Caledonian crows near genes associated with bill morphology, our data indicate that genetic changes in these two lineages are surprisingly subtle, with little evidence at present for convergence. We explore the biological explanations for these findings, such as the relative roles of gene regulation and protein-coding changes, as well as the possibility that statistical power to detect selection in recently diverged lineages may have been insufficient. Our study contributes to a growing body of literature aiming to decipher the genetic basis of recently evolved complex behaviour.}, }
@article {pmid33304499, year = {2020}, author = {Gomo, G and Rød-Eriksen, L and Andreassen, HP and Mattisson, J and Odden, M and Devineau, O and Eide, NE}, title = {Scavenger community structure along an environmental gradient from boreal forest to alpine tundra in Scandinavia.}, journal = {Ecology and evolution}, volume = {10}, number = {23}, pages = {12860-12869}, pmid = {33304499}, issn = {2045-7758}, abstract = {Scavengers can have strong impacts on food webs, and awareness of their role in ecosystems has increased during the last decades. In our study, we used baited camera traps to quantify the structure of the winter scavenger community in central Scandinavia across a forest-alpine continuum and assess how climatic conditions affected spatial patterns of species occurrences at baits. Canonical correspondence analysis revealed that the main habitat type (forest or alpine tundra) and snow depth was main determinants of the community structure. According to a joint species distribution model within the HMSC framework, species richness tended to be higher in forest than in alpine tundra habitat, but was only weakly associated with temperature and snow depth. However, we observed stronger and more diverse impacts of these covariates on individual species. Occurrence at baits by habitat generalists (red fox, golden eagle, and common raven) typically increased at low temperatures and high snow depth, probably due to increased energetic demands and lower abundance of natural prey in harsh winter conditions. On the contrary, occurrence at baits by forest specialists (e.g., Eurasian jay) tended to decrease in deep snow, which is possibly a consequence of reduced bait detectability and accessibility. In general, the influence of environmental covariates on species richness and occurrence at baits was lower in alpine tundra than in forests, and habitat generalists dominated the scavenger communities in both forest and alpine tundra. Following forecasted climate change, altered environmental conditions are likely to cause range expansion of boreal species and range contraction of typical alpine species such as the arctic fox. Our results suggest that altered snow conditions will possibly be a main driver of changes in species community structure.}, }
@article {pmid33303790, year = {2020}, author = {Pika, S and Sima, MJ and Blum, CR and Herrmann, E and Mundry, R}, title = {Ravens parallel great apes in physical and social cognitive skills.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {10}, number = {1}, pages = {20617}, pmid = {33303790}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Animals ; *Cognition ; Crows/*physiology ; Female ; *Intelligence ; Male ; Pan troglodytes/*physiology ; Pongo/*physiology ; *Psychomotor Performance ; *Social Skills ; }, abstract = {Human children show unique cognitive skills for dealing with the social world but their cognitive performance is paralleled by great apes in many tasks dealing with the physical world. Recent studies suggested that members of a songbird family-corvids-also evolved complex cognitive skills but a detailed understanding of the full scope of their cognition was, until now, not existent. Furthermore, relatively little is known about their cognitive development. Here, we conducted the first systematic, quantitative large-scale assessment of physical and social cognitive performance of common ravens with a special focus on development. To do so, we fine-tuned one of the most comprehensive experimental test-batteries, the Primate Cognition Test Battery (PCTB), to raven features enabling also a direct, quantitative comparison with the cognitive performance of two great ape species. Full-blown cognitive skills were already present at the age of four months with subadult ravens' cognitive performance appearing very similar to that of adult apes in tasks of physical (quantities, and causality) and social cognition (social learning, communication, and theory of mind). These unprecedented findings strengthen recent assessments of ravens' general intelligence, and aid to the growing evidence that the lack of a specific cortical architecture does not hinder advanced cognitive skills. Difficulties in certain cognitive scales further emphasize the quest to develop comparative test batteries that tap into true species rather than human specific cognitive skills, and suggest that socialization of test individuals may play a crucial role. We conclude to pay more attention to the impact of personality on cognitive output, and a currently neglected topic in Animal Cognition-the linkage between ontogeny and cognitive performance.}, }
@article {pmid33302453, year = {2020}, author = {Bohacz, J and Możejko, M and Kitowski, I}, title = {Arthroderma tuberculatum and Arthroderma multifidum Isolated from Soils in Rook (Corvus frugilegus) Colonies as Producers of Keratinolytic Enzymes and Mineral Forms of N and S.}, journal = {International journal of environmental research and public health}, volume = {17}, number = {24}, pages = {}, pmid = {33302453}, issn = {1660-4601}, mesh = {Animals ; Arthrodermataceae/*enzymology/isolation &amp; purification ; *Crows ; Feathers ; Minerals ; Nitrogen/*metabolism ; Peptide Hydrolases/*metabolism ; *Soil Microbiology ; Sulfur/*metabolism ; Waste Management ; }, abstract = {Keratinolytic fungi representing the genus Arthroderma that were isolated from the soils of a rook (Corvus frugilegus) colony were used as biological agents for the disposal of waste feathers. The aim of this study was to assess the abilities of Arthroderma tuberculatum and Arthroderma multifidum fungi with a varied inflow of keratin matter to biodegrade waste feathers. The evaluation was based on the determination of feather mass loss, the activity of keratinolytic enzymes, and the content of mineral N and S forms. It was found that the activity of protease released by the fungi contributed to an increase in the level of soluble proteins and peptides and the concentration of ammonium ions, as well as alkalization of the culture medium. Keratinase activity was significantly correlated with sulfate release, especially in A. tuberculatum cultures. The strains of A. tuberculatum fungi isolated from the soil with the highest supply of organic matter, i.e., strains III, IV, and V, had the lowest enzymatic activity, compared to the A. multifidum strains, but they released mineral nitrogen and sulfur forms that are highly important for fertilization, as well as nutritionally important peptides and amino acids. A. tuberculatum strains can be used for the management of waste feathers that can be applied in agricultural practice.}, }
@article {pmid33299193, year = {2020}, author = {Bauer, N and Bertram, C and Schultes, A and Klein, D and Luderer, G and Kriegler, E and Popp, A and Edenhofer, O}, title = {Quantification of an efficiency-sovereignty trade-off in climate policy.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {588}, number = {7837}, pages = {261-266}, pmid = {33299193}, issn = {1476-4687}, mesh = {Commerce/*economics/*legislation &amp; jurisprudence ; Environmental Policy/*economics/*legislation &amp; jurisprudence ; Global Warming/economics/*legislation &amp; jurisprudence/*prevention &amp; control ; International Cooperation/*legislation &amp; jurisprudence ; Paris ; Social Justice ; Socioeconomic Factors ; }, abstract = {The Paris Agreement calls for a cooperative response with the aim of limiting global warming to well below two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels while reaffirming the principles of equity and common, but differentiated responsibilities and capabilities1. Although the goal is clear, the approach required to achieve it is not. Cap-and-trade policies using uniform carbon prices could produce cost-effective reductions of global carbon emissions, but tend to impose relatively high mitigation costs on developing and emerging economies. Huge international financial transfers are required to complement cap-and-trade to achieve equal sharing of effort, defined as an equal distribution of mitigation costs as a share of income2,3, and therefore the cap-and-trade policy is often perceived as infringing on national sovereignty2-7. Here we show that a strategy of international financial transfers guided by moderate deviations from uniform carbon pricing could achieve the goal without straining either the economies or sovereignty of nations. We use the integrated assessment model REMIND-MAgPIE to analyse alternative policies: financial transfers in uniform carbon pricing systems, differentiated carbon pricing in the absence of financial transfers, or a hybrid combining financial transfers and differentiated carbon prices. Under uniform carbon prices, a present value of international financial transfers of 4.4 trillion US dollars over the next 80 years to 2100 would be required to equalize effort. By contrast, achieving equal effort without financial transfers requires carbon prices in advanced countries to exceed those in developing countries by a factor of more than 100, leading to efficiency losses of 2.6 trillion US dollars. Hybrid solutions reveal a strongly nonlinear trade-off between cost efficiency and sovereignty: moderate deviations from uniform carbon prices strongly reduce financial transfers at relatively small efficiency losses and moderate financial transfers substantially reduce inefficiencies by narrowing the carbon price spread. We also identify risks and adverse consequences of carbon price differentiation due to market distortions that can undermine environmental sustainability targets8,9. Quantifying the advantages and risks of carbon price differentiation provides insight into climate and sector-specific policy mixes.}, }
@article {pmid33296864, year = {2021}, author = {Valaparla, VL and Nehra, R and Mehta, UM and Grover, S}, title = {Social cognitive deficits in schizophrenia and their neurocognitive correlates across the different phases of illness.}, journal = {Asian journal of psychiatry}, volume = {55}, number = {}, pages = {102501}, doi = {10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102501}, pmid = {33296864}, issn = {1876-2026}, mesh = {Cognition ; *Cognition Disorders ; *Cognitive Dysfunction/etiology ; Humans ; Neuropsychological Tests ; *Schizophrenia/complications ; }, abstract = {AIM: This study aimed to assess the relationship between neurocognition (NC) and social cognition (SC) in patients with schizophrenia during the symptomatic phase and the phase of clinical remission.<br><br>METHODOLOGY: Thirty-two patients were assessed on Color trail test (CTT), Hopkins verbal learning test (HVLT), Controlled oral word association (COWA) test, Wisconsin card sorting test (WCST), Ravens standard progressive matrices (SPM) and Social cognition rating tool in Indian setting (SOCRATIS) during symptomatic and remission phases of illness at least 3 months apart.<br><br>RESULTS: Compared to baseline assessment, even after controlling for PANSS scores except for social perception index all other domains of SC showed significant improvement at the time of remission. Although there was significant improvement in a few subtests of verbal learning, IQ and number of correct responses of COWA, colour trail test, no significant difference was seen in performance on WCST. Although second order theory of mind task had some association with IQ at the baseline assessment, no association was seen between SC and NC in the remission phase.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: To conclude, present study suggests that impairments in all the domains of SC (except for social perception index) and NC (except for WCST) improve in the remission phase.}, }
@article {pmid33287499, year = {2020}, author = {Duan, Z}, title = {[The exploration of Hujia Pasture wooden slip medicine prescription].}, journal = {Zhonghua yi shi za zhi (Beijing, China : 1980)}, volume = {50}, number = {5}, pages = {307-310}, doi = {10.3760/cma.j.cn112155-20200804-00125}, pmid = {33287499}, issn = {0255-7053}, support = {GZK-2015-18//Scientific Research Project Approved by Gansu Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2015/ ; }, mesh = {Child ; China ; Epilepsy/drug therapy ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/*history ; *Moxibustion ; Prescriptions/*history ; }, abstract = {Some features in the medical prescriptions of western Han dynasty on the wooden slips unearthed in Hujia Pasture were interpreted, and the words were annotated and translated. The study found that this recipe with male magpie excrement treatment epileptic disease is the first moxibustion combined with drugs to treat epilepsy. This is the earliest recorded treatment. The drug is still administered to lactate children by applying it to the mother's nipple and making the child to suck, and it is the earliest recorded of its kind.}, }
@article {pmid33286157, year = {2020}, author = {Lu, C}, title = {Channels' Confirmation and Predictions' Confirmation: From the Medical Test to the Raven Paradox.}, journal = {Entropy (Basel, Switzerland)}, volume = {22}, number = {4}, pages = {}, pmid = {33286157}, issn = {1099-4300}, abstract = {After long arguments between positivism and falsificationism, the verification of universal hypotheses was replaced with the confirmation of uncertain major premises. Unfortunately, Hemple proposed the Raven Paradox. Then, Carnap used the increment of logical probability as the confirmation measure. So far, many confirmation measures have been proposed. Measure F proposed by Kemeny and Oppenheim among them possesses symmetries and asymmetries proposed by Elles and Fitelson, monotonicity proposed by Greco et al., and normalizing property suggested by many researchers. Based on the semantic information theory, a measure b* similar to F is derived from the medical test. Like the likelihood ratio, measures b* and F can only indicate the quality of channels or the testing means instead of the quality of probability predictions. Furthermore, it is still not easy to use b*, F, or another measure to clarify the Raven Paradox. For this reason, measure c* similar to the correct rate is derived. Measure c* supports the Nicod Criterion and undermines the Equivalence Condition, and hence, can be used to eliminate the Raven Paradox. An example indicates that measures F and b* are helpful for diagnosing the infection of Novel Coronavirus, whereas most popular confirmation measures are not. Another example reveals that all popular confirmation measures cannot be used to explain that a black raven can confirm "Ravens are black" more strongly than a piece of chalk. Measures F, b*, and c* indicate that the existence of fewer counterexamples is more important than more positive examples' existence, and hence, are compatible with Popper's falsification thought.}, }
@article {pmid33271875, year = {2020}, author = {Chen, Z and Erickson, DL and Meng, J}, title = {Benchmarking Long-Read Assemblers for Genomic Analyses of Bacterial Pathogens Using Oxford Nanopore Sequencing.}, journal = {International journal of molecular sciences}, volume = {21}, number = {23}, pages = {}, pmid = {33271875}, issn = {1422-0067}, support = {U01 FD001418/FD/FDA HHS/United States ; U01FD001418//U.S. Food and Drug Administration/ ; }, mesh = {Bacteria/classification/drug effects/*genetics/pathogenicity ; Computational Biology/methods ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; *Genome, Bacterial ; Genomics/*methods ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing/*methods ; Multilocus Sequence Typing ; Phylogeny ; Reproducibility of Results ; Virulence/genetics ; Virulence Factors/genetics ; }, abstract = {Oxford Nanopore sequencing can be used to achieve complete bacterial genomes. However, the error rates of Oxford Nanopore long reads are greater compared to Illumina short reads. Long-read assemblers using a variety of assembly algorithms have been developed to overcome this deficiency, which have not been benchmarked for genomic analyses of bacterial pathogens using Oxford Nanopore long reads. In this study, long-read assemblers, namely Canu, Flye, Miniasm/Racon, Raven, Redbean, and Shasta, were thus benchmarked using Oxford Nanopore long reads of bacterial pathogens. Ten species were tested for mediocre- and low-quality simulated reads, and 10 species were tested for real reads. Raven was the most robust assembler, obtaining complete and accurate genomes. All Miniasm/Racon and Raven assemblies of mediocre-quality reads provided accurate antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profiles, while the Raven assembly of Klebsiella variicola with low-quality reads was the only assembly with an accurate AMR profile among all assemblers and species. All assemblers functioned well for predicting virulence genes using mediocre-quality and real reads, whereas only the Raven assemblies of low-quality reads had accurate numbers of virulence genes. Regarding multilocus sequence typing (MLST), Miniasm/Racon was the most effective assembler for mediocre-quality reads, while only the Raven assemblies of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and K. variicola with low-quality reads showed positive MLST results. Miniasm/Racon and Raven were the best performers for MLST using real reads. The Miniasm/Racon and Raven assemblies showed accurate phylogenetic inference. For the pan-genome analyses, Raven was the strongest assembler for simulated reads, whereas Miniasm/Racon and Raven performed the best for real reads. Overall, the most robust and accurate assembler was Raven, closely followed by Miniasm/Racon.}, }
@article {pmid33269437, year = {2021}, author = {Vernouillet, A and Casidsid, HJM and Kelly, DM}, title = {Conspecific presence, but not pilferage, influences pinyon jays' (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus) caching behavior.}, journal = {Learning &amp; behavior}, volume = {49}, number = {1}, pages = {23-35}, pmid = {33269437}, issn = {1543-4508}, mesh = {Animals ; Feeding Behavior ; Food ; *Passeriformes ; Social Behavior ; *Songbirds ; }, abstract = {Caching species store food when plentiful to ensure availability when resources are scarce. These stores may be at risk of pilferage by others present at the time of caching. Cachers may reduce the risk of loss by using information from the social environment to engage in behaviors to secure the resource-cache protection strategies. Here, we examined whether pinyon jays, a highly social corvid, use information from the social environment to modify their caching behavior. Pinyon jays were provided with pine seeds to cache in two visually distinct trays. The cacher could be observed by a non-pilfering conspecific, a pilfering conspecific, or an inanimate heterospecific located in an adjoining cage compartment, or the cacher could be alone. After caching, the pilfered tray was placed in the adjoining compartment where caches were either pilfered (pilfering conspecific and inanimate heterospecific conditions) or remained intact (non-pilfering conspecific and alone conditions). The safe tray was placed in a visible, but inaccessible, location. Overall, pinyon jays reduced the number of pine seeds cached in the pilfered tray when observed, compared with caching alone. However, their caching behavior did not differ between the pilfering conspecific and the non-pilfering conspecific conditions. These results suggest that either pinyon jays were unable to discriminate between the pilfering and non-pilfering conspecifics, or they generalized their experience of risk from the pilfering conspecific to the non-pilfering conspecific. Thus, we report evidence that pinyon jays use cache protection strategies to secure their resources when observed, but respond similarly when observed by pilfering and non-pilfering conspecifics.}, }
@article {pmid33268388, year = {2020}, author = {Reha-Krantz, LJ and Goodman, MF}, title = {John W. (Jan) Drake: A Biochemical View of a Geneticist Par Excellence.}, journal = {Genetics}, volume = {216}, number = {4}, pages = {827-836}, pmid = {33268388}, issn = {1943-2631}, support = {R35 ES028343/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS/United States ; RM1 GM130450/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Bacteriophage T4/genetics ; DNA Replication ; Genetics/*history ; History, 20th Century ; History, 21st Century ; Mutagenesis ; }, abstract = {John W. Drake died 02-02-2020, a mathematical palindrome, which he would have enjoyed, given his love of "word play and logic," as stated in his obituary and echoed by his family, friends, students, and colleagues. Many aspects of Jan's career have been reviewed previously, including his early years as a Caltech graduate student, and when he was editor-in-chief, with the devoted assistance of his wife Pam, of this journal for 15 impactful years. During his editorship, he raised the profile of GENETICS as the flagship journal of the Genetics Society of America and inspired and contributed to the creation of the Perspectives column, coedited by Jim Crow and William Dove. At the same time, Jan was building from scratch the Laboratory of Molecular Genetics on the newly established Research Triangle Park campus of the National Institute of Environmental Health Science, which he headed for 30 years. This commentary offers a unique perspective on Jan's legacy; we showcase Jan's 1969 benchmark discovery of antimutagenic T4 DNA polymerases and the research by three generations (and counting) of scientists whose research stems from that groundbreaking discovery. This is followed by a brief discussion of Jan's passion: his overriding interest in analyzing mutation rates across species. Several anecdotal stories are included to bring alive one of Jan's favorite phrases, "to think like a geneticist." We feature Jan's genetical approach to mutation studies, along with the biochemistry of DNA polymerase function, our area of expertise. But in the end, we acknowledge, as Jan did, that genetics, also known as in vivo biochemistry, prevails.}, }
@article {pmid33240589, year = {2020}, author = {Adawaren, EO and Du Plessis, M and Suleman, E and Kindler, D and Oosthuizen, AO and Mukandiwa, L and Naidoo, V}, title = {The complete mitochondrial genome of Gyps coprotheres (Aves, Accipitridae, Accipitriformes): phylogenetic analysis of mitogenome among raptors.}, journal = {PeerJ}, volume = {8}, number = {}, pages = {e10034}, pmid = {33240589}, issn = {2167-8359}, abstract = {Three species of Old World vultures on the Asian peninsula are slowly recovering from the lethal consequences of diclofenac. At present the reason for species sensitivity to diclofenac is unknown. Furthermore, it has since been demonstrated that other Old World vultures like the Cape (Gyps coprotheres; CGV) and griffon (G. fulvus) vultures are also susceptible to diclofenac toxicity. Oddly, the New World Turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) and pied crow (Corvus albus) are not susceptible to diclofenac toxicity. As a result of the latter, we postulate an evolutionary link to toxicity. As a first step in understanding the susceptibility to diclofenac toxicity, we use the CGV as a model species for phylogenetic evaluations, by comparing the relatedness of various raptor species known to be susceptible, non-susceptible and suspected by their relationship to the Cape vulture mitogenome. This was achieved by next generation sequencing and assembly. The Cape vulture mitogenome had a genome size of 16,908 bp. The mitogenome phylogenetic analysis indicated a close evolutionary relationship between Old World vultures and other members of the Accipitridae as indicated by bootstrap value of 100% on the phylogenetic trees. Based on this, we postulate that the other species could also be sensitive to the toxic effects of diclofenac. This warrants further investigations.}, }
@article {pmid33239782, year = {2020}, author = {O'Connor, PM and Turner, AH and Groenke, JR and Felice, RN and Rogers, RR and Krause, DW and Rahantarisoa, LJ}, title = {Late Cretaceous bird from Madagascar reveals unique development of beaks.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {588}, number = {7837}, pages = {272-276}, pmid = {33239782}, issn = {1476-4687}, support = {/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Beak/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Biological Evolution ; Birds/*anatomy &amp; histology/classification ; *Fossils ; Madagascar ; Phylogeny ; }, abstract = {Mesozoic birds display considerable diversity in size, flight adaptations and feather organization1-4, but exhibit relatively conserved patterns of beak shape and development5-7. Although Neornithine (that is, crown group) birds also exhibit constraint on facial development8,9, they have comparatively diverse beak morphologies associated with a range of feeding and behavioural ecologies, in contrast to Mesozoic birds. Here we describe a crow-sized stem bird, Falcatakely forsterae gen. et sp. nov., from the Late Cretaceous epoch of Madagascar that possesses a long and deep rostrum, an expression of beak morphology that was previously unknown among Mesozoic birds and is superficially similar to that of a variety of crown-group birds (for example, toucans). The rostrum of Falcatakely is composed of an expansive edentulous maxilla and a small tooth-bearing premaxilla. Morphometric analyses of individual bony elements and three-dimensional rostrum shape reveal the development of a neornithine-like facial anatomy despite the retention of a maxilla-premaxilla organization that is similar to that of nonavialan theropods. The patterning and increased height of the rostrum in Falcatakely reveals a degree of developmental lability and increased morphological disparity that was previously unknown in early branching avialans. Expression of this phenotype (and presumed ecology) in a stem bird underscores that consolidation to the neornithine-like, premaxilla-dominated rostrum was not an evolutionary prerequisite for beak enlargement.}, }
@article {pmid33225245, year = {2020}, author = {Wagener, L and Nieder, A}, title = {Categorical Auditory Working Memory in Crows.}, journal = {iScience}, volume = {23}, number = {11}, pages = {101737}, pmid = {33225245}, issn = {2589-0042}, abstract = {The ability to group sensory data into behaviorally meaningful classes and to maintain these perceptual categories active in working memory is key to intelligent behavior. Here, we show that carrion crows, highly vocal and cognitively advanced corvid songbirds, possess categorical auditory working memory. The crows were trained in a delayed match-to-category task that required them to flexibly match remembered sounds based on the upward or downward shift of the sounds' frequency modulation. After training, the crows instantaneously classified novel sounds into the correct auditory categories. The crows showed sharp category boundaries as a function of the relative frequency interval of the modulation. In addition, the crows generalized frequency-modulated sounds within a category and correctly classified novel sounds kept in working memory irrespective of other acoustic features of the sound. This suggests that crows can form and actively memorize auditory perceptual categories in the service of cognitive control of their goal-directed behaviors.}, }
@article {pmid33207724, year = {2020}, author = {Mughal, R and Hill, CM and Joyce, A and Dimitriou, D}, title = {Sleep and Cognition in Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).}, journal = {Brain sciences}, volume = {10}, number = {11}, pages = {}, pmid = {33207724}, issn = {2076-3425}, abstract = {Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) experience significantly higher rates of sleep disturbances than their typically developing peers. However, little is known about the association between sleep and the cognitive phenotype in these clinical populations. Structural damage affecting cortical and subcortical connectivity occurs as a result of prenatal alcohol exposure in children with FASD, whilst it is believed an abundance of short-range connectivity explains the phenotypic manifestations of childhood ASD. These underlying neural structural and connectivity differences manifest as cognitive patterns, with some shared and some unique characteristics between FASD and ASD. This is the first study to examine sleep and its association with cognition in individuals with FASD, and to compare sleep in individuals with FASD and ASD. We assessed children aged 6-12 years with a diagnosis of FASD (n = 29), ASD (n = 21), and Typically Developing (TD) children (n = 46) using actigraphy (CamNTech Actiwatch 8), digit span tests of working memory (Weschler Intelligence Scale), tests of nonverbal mental age (MA; Ravens Standard Progressive Matrices), receptive vocabulary (British Picture Vocabulary Scale), and a choice reaction time (CRT) task. Children with FASD and ASD presented with significantly shorter total sleep duration, lower sleep efficiency, and more nocturnal wakings than their TD peers. Sleep was significantly associated with scores on the cognitive tests in all three groups. Our findings support the growing body of work asserting that sleep is significant to cognitive functioning in these neurodevelopmental conditions; however, more research is needed to determine cause and effect.}, }
@article {pmid33200879, year = {2021}, author = {Snow, NP and Wishart, JD and Foster, JA and Staples, LD and VerCauteren, KC}, title = {Efficacy and risks from a modified sodium nitrite toxic bait for wild pigs.}, journal = {Pest management science}, volume = {77}, number = {4}, pages = {1616-1625}, doi = {10.1002/ps.6180}, pmid = {33200879}, issn = {1526-4998}, mesh = {Animals ; *Animals, Wild ; Australia ; Queensland ; Sodium Nitrite ; *Sus scrofa ; Swine ; Texas ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are a destructive invasive species throughout many regions of the world. In 2018, a field evaluation of an early prototype of a sodium nitrite (SN) toxic bait in the United States revealed wild pigs dropped large amounts of the toxic bait outside the pig-specific bait stations while feeding, and thus subsequent hazards for non-target animals. We modified the SN-toxic bait formulation, the design of the bait station, and the baiting strategy to reduce dropped bait. We tested the modifications in Queensland, Australia (December 2018), Alabama, USA (August 2019), and Texas, USA (March 2020) under differing climatic and seasonal conditions for one night.<br><br>RESULTS: Cumulatively we found 161 carcasses of all age classes of wild pigs using systematic transects. Remote camera indices indicated high lethality for wild pigs, achieving population reductions of 76.3 to 90.4%. Wild pigs dropped only small particles of SN-toxic bait (average = 55.5 g per bait site), which represented a 19-fold decrease from the previous trial. Despite this reduction, we found three Australian ravens (Corvus coronoides) in Queensland, two Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana) in Alabama, and 35 granivorous-passerine birds (mostly dark-eyed juncos [Junco hyemalis]) in Texas dead from consuming the dropped bait. We did not detect any population-level effects for those species.<br><br>CONCLUSION: Our modifications were effective at reducing populations of wild pigs, but the deaths of non-target species require further steps to minimize these hazards. Next steps will include evaluating various deterrent devices for birds the morning after SN-toxic bait has been offered. Published 2020. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.}, }
@article {pmid33194383, year = {2020}, author = {Nesbitt, SJ and Zawiskie, JM and Dawley, RM}, title = {The osteology and phylogenetic position of the loricatan (Archosauria: Pseudosuchia) Heptasuchus clarki, from the ?Mid-Upper Triassic, southeastern Big Horn Mountains, Central Wyoming (USA).}, journal = {PeerJ}, volume = {8}, number = {}, pages = {e10101}, pmid = {33194383}, issn = {2167-8359}, abstract = {Loricatan pseudosuchians (known as "rauisuchians") typically consist of poorly understood fragmentary remains known worldwide from the Middle Triassic to the end of the Triassic Period. Renewed interest and the discovery of more complete specimens recently revolutionized our understanding of the relationships of archosaurs, the origin of Crocodylomorpha, and the paleobiology of these animals. However, there are still few loricatans known from the Middle to early portion of the Late Triassic and the forms that occur during this time are largely known from southern Pangea or Europe. Heptasuchus clarki was the first formally recognized North American "rauisuchian" and was collected from a poorly sampled and disparately fossiliferous sequence of Triassic strata in North America. Exposed along the trend of the Casper Arch flanking the southeastern Big Horn Mountains, the type locality of Heptasuchus clarki occurs within a sequence of red beds above the Alcova Limestone and Crow Mountain formations within the Chugwater Group. The age of the type locality is poorly constrained to the Middle-early Late Triassic and is likely similar to or just older than that of the Popo Agie Formation assemblage from the western portion of Wyoming. The holotype consists of associated cranial elements found in situ, and the referred specimens consist of crania and postcrania. Thus, about 30% of the osteology of the taxon is preserved. All of the pseudosuchian elements collected at the locality appear to belong to Heptasuchus clarki and the taxon is not a chimera as previously hypothesized. Heptasuchus clarki is distinct from all other archosaurs by the presence of large, posteriorly directed flanges on the parabasisphenoid and a distinct, orbit-overhanging postfrontal. Our phylogenetic hypothesis posits a sister-taxon relationship between Heptasuchus clarki and the Ladinian-aged Batrachotomus kupferzellensis from current-day Germany within Loricata. These two taxa share a number of apomorphies from across the skull and their phylogenetic position further supports 'rauisuchian' paraphyly. A minimum of three individuals of Heptasuchus are present at the type locality suggesting that a group of individuals died together, similar to other aggregations of loricatans (e.g., Heptasuchus, Batrachotomus, Decuriasuchus, Postosuchus).}, }
@article {pmid33192900, year = {2020}, author = {Blum, CR and Fitch, WT and Bugnyar, T}, title = {Rapid Learning and Long-Term Memory for Dangerous Humans in Ravens (Corvus corax).}, journal = {Frontiers in psychology}, volume = {11}, number = {}, pages = {581794}, pmid = {33192900}, issn = {1664-1078}, abstract = {Like many predatory species, humans have pronounced individual differences in their interactions with potential prey: some humans pose a lethal threat while others may provide valuable resources. Recognizing individual humans would thus allow prey species to maximize potential rewards while ensuring survival. Previous studies on corvids showed they can recognize and remember individual humans. For instance, wild American crows produced alarm calls toward specifically masked humans up to 2.7 years after those humans had caught and ringed them while wearing that mask. However, individual behavior of the crows or the impact of social features on their responses, was hardly examined. Here, we studied predator learning and social effects on responses, using a similar method, in captive common ravens (Corvus corax). We investigated learning and the impact of key social components on individual reactions to artificial predators. Human experimenters wore two types of masks while walking past two raven aviaries. In four training trials, the "dangerous" mask was presented while carrying a dead raven, whereas the "neutral" mask was presented empty-handed. Between every training trial and in all following trials, we presented both masks without dead ravens. We assessed the subjects' (i) learning speed, (ii) selective long-term response, and (iii) potential effects of social dynamics on individual alarm calling frequency. Ravens learned quickly (often based on the first trial), and some individuals distinguished the dangerous from the neutral mask for the next 4 years. Despite having received the same amount and quality of exposure to the dangerous mask, we found pronounced individual differences in alarm calling that were fairly consistent across test trials in socially stable situations: dominance, but not sex explained individual differences in alarm responses, indicating the potential use of alarm calls as "status symbols." These findings fit to those in wild bird populations and dominant individuals signaling their quality. Changes in the individuals' participation and intensity of alarm calling coincided with changes in group composition and pair formation, further supporting the role of social context on ravens' alarm calling.}, }
@article {pmid33183800, year = {2021}, author = {Drysdale, M and Ratelle, M and Skinner, K and Garcia-Barrios, J and Gamberg, M and Williams, M and Majowicz, S and Bouchard, M and Stark, K and Chalil, D and Laird, BD}, title = {Human biomonitoring results of contaminant and nutrient biomarkers in Old Crow, Yukon, Canada.}, journal = {The Science of the total environment}, volume = {760}, number = {}, pages = {143339}, doi = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143339}, pmid = {33183800}, issn = {1879-1026}, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; Arctic Regions ; Biological Monitoring ; Biomarkers ; Canada ; *Crows ; Environmental Monitoring ; *Environmental Pollutants/analysis ; Humans ; Yukon Territory ; }, abstract = {Several large-scale human biomonitoring projects have been conducted in Canada, including the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) and the First Nations Biomonitoring Initiative (FNBI). However, neither of these studies included participants living in the Yukon. To address this data gap, a human biomonitoring project was implemented in Old Crow, a fly-in Gwich'in community in the northern Yukon. The results of this project provide baseline levels of contaminant and nutrient biomarkers from Old Crow in 2019. Samples of hair, blood, and/or urine were collected from approximately 44% of community residents (77 of 175 adults). These samples were analyzed for contaminants (including heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs)), and nutrients (including trace elements and omega-3 fatty acids). Levels of these analytes were compared to health-based guidance values, when available, and results from other human biomonitoring projects in Canada. Levels of lead (GM 0.64 μg/g creatinine in urine/24 μg/L blood), cadmium (GM 0.32 μg/g creatinine in urine/0.85 μg/L blood), and mercury (GM < LOD in urine/0.76 μg/L blood/0.31 μg/g hair) were below select health-based guidance values for more than 95% of participants. However, compared to the general Canadian population, elevated levels of some contaminants, including lead (approximately 2× higher), cobalt (approximately 1.5× higher), manganese (approximately 1.3× higher), and hexachlorobenzene (approximately 1.5× higher) were observed. In contrast, levels of other POPs, including insecticides such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), its metabolite, dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were similar to, or lower than, those reported in the general Canadian population. This study can be used along with future biomonitoring programs to evaluate the effectiveness of international initiatives designed to reduce the contaminant burden in the Arctic, including the Stockholm Convention and the Minamata Convention. Regionally, this project complements environmental monitoring being conducted in the region, informing local and regional traditional food consumption advisories.}, }
@article {pmid33159902, year = {2021}, author = {Shahhosseini, N and Frederick, C and Racine, T and Kobinger, GP and Wong, G}, title = {Modeling host-feeding preference and molecular systematics of mosquitoes in different ecological niches in Canada.}, journal = {Acta tropica}, volume = {213}, number = {}, pages = {105734}, doi = {10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105734}, pmid = {33159902}, issn = {1873-6254}, mesh = {Aedes/classification/genetics/physiology ; Algorithms ; Animals ; Blood ; Canada ; Culex/classification/genetics/physiology ; Culicidae/classification/genetics/*physiology ; Deer ; Ecosystem ; Feeding Behavior ; Female ; *Host Specificity ; Humans ; Phylogeny ; Swine ; }, abstract = {Several mosquito-borne viruses (mobovirus) cause infections in Canada. Ecological data on mosquito species and host range in Canada remains elusive. The main aim of the current study is to determine the host range and molecular systematics of mosquito species in Canada. Mosquitoes were collected using BG-Sentinel traps and aspirators at 10 trapping sites in Canada during 2018 and 2019. Mosquitoes collected were identified via morphology and molecular techniques. Mosquito sequences were aligned by MUSCLE algorithm and evolutionary systematics were drawn using MEGA and SDT software. Moreover, the source of blood meals was identified using a DNA barcoding technique. A total of 5,708 female mosquitoes over 34 different taxa were collected. DNA barcodes and evolutionary tree analysis confirmed the identification of mosquito species in Canada. Of the total collected samples, 201 specimens were blood-fed female mosquitoes in 20 different taxa. Four mosquito species represented about half (51.47%) of all collected blood-fed specimens: Aede cinereus (39 specimens, 19.11%), Aedes triseriatus (23, 11.27%), Culex pipiens (22, 10.78%), and Anopheles punctipennis (21, 10.29%). The most common blood meal sources were humans (49 mosquito specimens, 24% of all blood-fed mosquito specimen), pigs (44, 21.5%), American red squirrels (28, 13.7%), white-tailed deers (28, 13.7%), and American crows (16, 7.8%). Here, we present the first analysis of the host-feeding preference of different mosquito species in Canada via molecular techniques. Our results on mosquito distribution and behavior will aid in the development of effective mitigation and control strategies to prevent or reduce human/animal health issues in regards to moboviruses.}, }
@article {pmid33159552, year = {2021}, author = {Heasley, LR and Sampaio, NMV and Argueso, JL}, title = {Systemic and rapid restructuring of the genome: a new perspective on punctuated equilibrium.}, journal = {Current genetics}, volume = {67}, number = {1}, pages = {57-63}, pmid = {33159552}, issn = {1432-0983}, support = {K99 GM134193/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R35 GM119788/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; 1K99GM13419301/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R35GM11978801/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {*Biological Evolution ; Genome, Fungal/*genetics ; Genomic Instability/genetics ; Saccharomyces cerevisiae/*genetics ; }, abstract = {The rates and patterns by which cells acquire mutations profoundly shape their evolutionary trajectories and phenotypic potential. Conventional models maintain that mutations are acquired independently of one another over many successive generations. Yet, recent evidence suggests that cells can also experience mutagenic processes that drive rapid genome evolution. One such process manifests as punctuated bursts of genomic instability, in which multiple new mutations are acquired simultaneously during transient episodes of genomic instability. This mutational mode is reminiscent of the theory of punctuated equilibrium, proposed by Stephen Jay Gould and Niles Eldredge in 1972 to explain the burst-like appearance of new species in the fossil record. In this review, we survey the dominant and emerging theories of eukaryotic genome evolution with a particular focus on the growing body of work that substantiates the existence and importance of punctuated bursts of genomic instability. In addition, we summarize and discuss two recent studies from our own group, the results of which indicate that punctuated bursts systemic genomic instability (SGI) can rapidly reconfigure the structure of the diploid genome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.}, }
@article {pmid33150697, year = {2021}, author = {Armenteros, JA and Caro, J and SÁnchez-GarcÍa, C and Arroyo, B and PÉrez, JA and Gaudioso, VR and Tizado, EJ}, title = {Do non-target species visit feeders and water troughs targeting small game? A study from farmland Spain using camera-trapping.}, journal = {Integrative zoology}, volume = {16}, number = {2}, pages = {226-239}, doi = {10.1111/1749-4877.12496}, pmid = {33150697}, issn = {1749-4877}, mesh = {Animal Feed ; Animals ; *Animals, Wild ; *Drinking Behavior ; *Feeding Behavior ; Photography/veterinary ; Spain ; Water ; }, abstract = {Provision of food and water is a widespread tool implemented around the world for the benefit of game and other wildlife, but factors affecting the use of food and water by non-target species are poorly known. We evaluated visits to feeders and water troughs by non-game species using camera-traps in two separate areas of Spain. Feeders and water troughs were either "protected" (when surrounded by more than 50% of shrubs/forest) or "open" (in the opposite case). A total of 18 948 photos from 5344 camera-trapping days depicted animals, and 75 species were identified. Feeders and water troughs were visited by target species (partridges and lagomorphs, 55.3% of visits) and non-target species (44.7% of visits). Among the latter, corvids were the most common (46.1% of visits), followed by rodents (26.8%), other birds (23.6%, mainly passerines), columbids (1.9%), and other species at minor percentages. The highest proportion of visiting days to feeders and water troughs was from corvids (0.173) followed by other-birds (0.109) and rodents (0.083); the lowest proportion was recorded for columbids (0.016). Use intensity and visit frequency of water troughs tripled that recorded in feeders, and visits to open feeders/troughs were approximately twice those to protected ones. In summary: feeders and water troughs targeting small game species are also used regularly by non-target ones; they should be set close to cover to optimize their use by non-target species that are not competitors of target species (though corvids may visit them); water availability should be prioritized where drought periods are expected.}, }
@article {pmid33143583, year = {2020}, author = {Boeckle, M and Schiestl, M and Frohnwieser, A and Gruber, R and Miller, R and Suddendorf, T and Gray, RD and Taylor, AH and Clayton, NS}, title = {New Caledonian crows plan for specific future tool use.}, journal = {Proceedings. Biological sciences}, volume = {287}, number = {1938}, pages = {20201490}, pmid = {33143583}, issn = {1471-2954}, mesh = {Animals ; *Crows ; New Caledonia ; *Tool Use Behavior ; }, abstract = {The ability to plan for future events is one of the defining features of human intelligence. Whether non-human animals can plan for specific future situations remains contentious: despite a sustained research effort over the last two decades, there is still no consensus on this question. Here, we show that New Caledonian crows can use tools to plan for specific future events. Crows learned a temporal sequence where they were (a) shown a baited apparatus, (b) 5 min later given a choice of five objects and (c) 10 min later given access to the apparatus. At test, these crows were presented with one of two tool-apparatus combinations. For each combination, the crows chose the right tool for the right future task, while ignoring previously useful tools and a low-value food item. This study establishes that planning for specific future tool use can evolve via convergent evolution, given that corvids and humans shared a common ancestor over 300 million years ago, and offers a route to mapping the planning capacities of animals.}, }
@article {pmid33139274, year = {2020}, author = {Kutilova, I and Valcek, A and Papagiannitsis, CC and Cejkova, D and Masarikova, M and Paskova, V and Davidova-Gerzova, L and Videnska, P and Hrabak, J and Literak, I and Dolejska, M}, title = {Carbapenemase-Producing Gram-Negative Bacteria from American Crows in the United States.}, journal = {Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy}, volume = {65}, number = {1}, pages = {}, pmid = {33139274}, issn = {1098-6596}, mesh = {Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology ; Bacterial Proteins/genetics ; *Crows ; Enterobacter ; *Klebsiella Infections ; Klebsiella pneumoniae/genetics ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Plasmids/genetics ; Providencia ; United States ; beta-Lactamases/genetics ; }, abstract = {Wild corvids were examined for the presence of carbapenemase-producing Gram-negative bacteria in the United States. A total of 13 isolates were detected among 590 fecal samples of American crow; 11 Providencia rettgeri isolates harboring bla IMP-27 on the chromosome as a class 2 integron gene cassette within the Tn7 transposon, 1 Klebsiella pneumoniae ST258 isolate carrying bla KPC-2 on a pKpQIL-like plasmid as a part of Tn4401a, and 1 Enterobacter bugandensis isolate with bla IMI-1 located within EcloIMEX-2.}, }
@article {pmid33126740, year = {2020}, author = {Islam, A and Islam, S and Hossain, ME and Ferdous, J and Abedin, J and Ziaur Rahman, M and Rahman, MK and Hoque, MA and Hassan, MM}, title = {Serological Evidence of West Nile Virus in Wild Birds in Bangladesh.}, journal = {Veterinary sciences}, volume = {7}, number = {4}, pages = {}, pmid = {33126740}, issn = {2306-7381}, abstract = {West Nile Virus (WNV) is a vector-borne zoonotic disease maintained in a sylvatic cycle involving mosquito vectors and birds. To detect WNV and other flavivirus infections in wild resident and migratory birds, we tested 184 samples from 19 identified species within nine families collected during 2012-2016 from four districts in Bangladesh. We tested serum samples for the immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody against WNV using competitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (c-ELISA), whereas tracheal and cloacal swabs were subjected to consensus Polymerase Chain Reaction (c-PCR) for the detection of the flavivirus RNA. Overall, we detected 11.9% (n = 22; 95% CI: 0.07-0.16) samples were seropositive, including 15.9% in the migratory wild birds and 10.7% in the resident wild birds. The migratory wild Tufted duck showed 28.5% seropositivity, whereas the resident wild house crows showed 12.5% seropositivity. None of the swab samples was positive for flavivirus RNA infection (0%, n = 184; 95% CI: 0-0.019). These study findings recommend continued surveillance for early detection and to better understand the epidemiology of WNV and other flavivirus circulation in both birds and mosquitoes in Bangladesh.}, }
@article {pmid33125552, year = {2020}, author = {Prakas, P and Butkauskas, D and Juozaitytė-Ngugu, E}, title = {Molecular and morphological description of Sarcocystis kutkienae sp. nov. from the common raven (Corvus corax).}, journal = {Parasitology research}, volume = {119}, number = {12}, pages = {4205-4210}, doi = {10.1007/s00436-020-06941-8}, pmid = {33125552}, issn = {1432-1955}, mesh = {Animals ; Bird Diseases/*parasitology ; Crows/*parasitology ; DNA, Ribosomal/genetics ; Lithuania ; Oocysts/classification/cytology/genetics/ultrastructure ; Phylogeny ; Sarcocystis/classification/*cytology/*genetics/ultrastructure ; Sarcocystosis/parasitology/*veterinary ; Species Specificity ; }, abstract = {Until now, two Sarcocystis species, S. cornixi and S. corvusi, were known to employ members of the family Corvidae as intermediate hosts. Between 2013 and 2019, having examined leg muscles of 23 common ravens in Lithuania, sarcocysts were detected in 18 birds (78.3%). Using light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and molecular analysis (three genetic loci, 18S rDNA, 28S rDNA, and ITS1), sarcocysts found in the common raven were described as a new species S. kutkienae. Under a light microscope, the observed sarcocysts were ribbon-shaped (1500-8147 × 53-79 μm) and had a wavy striated cyst wall that reached up to 1.5 μm. Lancet-shaped bradyzoites were 7.7 × 2.2 μm (6.1-9.0 × 1.2-3.0 μm) in size. Ultrastructurally, the sarcocyst wall was 1.5-1.8 μm in thickness and had conical-like protrusions with minute invaginations of a parasitophorous vacuolar membrane. The cyst wall was type 1e-like. Limited genetic variability was observed between the 18S rDNA and 28S rDNA sequences of S. kutkienae and other Sarcocystis spp. using birds as intermediate hosts. In contrast, S. kutkienae could be clearly identified by comparing sequences. At this locus, sequences of S. kutkienae shared the highest similarity (89.5-89.7%) with those of S. cornixi. Phylogenetic analysis showed that S. kutkienae was most closely related to Sarcocystis spp. that employs birds as intermediate and definitive hosts. The issue relating to which species might serve as definitive hosts of S. kutkienae in Lithuania is addressed.}, }
@article {pmid33117228, year = {2020}, author = {Cabrera-Álvarez, MJ and Clayton, NS}, title = {Neural Processes Underlying Tool Use in Humans, Macaques, and Corvids.}, journal = {Frontiers in psychology}, volume = {11}, number = {}, pages = {560669}, pmid = {33117228}, issn = {1664-1078}, abstract = {It was thought that tool use in animals is an adaptive specialization. Recent studies, however, have shown that some non-tool-users, such as rooks and jays, can use and manufacture tools in laboratory settings. Despite the abundant evidence of tool use in corvids, little is known about the neural mechanisms underlying tool use in this family of birds. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the neural processes underlying tool use in humans, macaques and corvids. We suggest a possible neural network for tool use in macaques and hope this might inspire research to discover a similar brain network in corvids. We hope to establish a framework to elucidate the neural mechanisms that supported the convergent evolution of tool use in birds and mammals.}, }
@article {pmid33114480, year = {2020}, author = {De Allegri, M and Srivastava, S and Strupat, C and Brenner, S and Parmar, D and Parisi, D and Walsh, C and Mahajan, S and Neogi, R and Ziegler, S and Basu, S and Jain, N}, title = {Mixed and Multi-Methods Protocol to Evaluate Implementation Processes and Early Effects of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana Scheme in Seven Indian States.}, journal = {International journal of environmental research and public health}, volume = {17}, number = {21}, pages = {}, pmid = {33114480}, issn = {1660-4601}, mesh = {Health Services ; Health Services Accessibility/organization &amp; administration ; *Hospitals ; India ; *Insurance, Health ; Program Evaluation/methods ; Quality of Health Care ; }, abstract = {In September 2018, India launched Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), a nationally implemented government-funded health insurance scheme to improve access to quality inpatient care, increase financial protection, and reduce unmet need for the most vulnerable population groups. This protocol describes the methodology adopted to evaluate implementation processes and early effects of PM-JAY in seven Indian states. The study adopts a mixed and multi-methods concurrent triangulation design including three components: 1. demand-side household study, including a structured survey and qualitative elements, to quantify and understand PM-JAY reach and its effect on insurance awareness, health service utilization, and financial protection; 2. supply-side hospital-based survey encompassing both quantitative and qualitative elements to assess the effect of PM-JAY on quality of service delivery and to explore healthcare providers' experiences with scheme implementation; and 3. process documentation to examine implementation processes in selected states transitioning from either no or prior health insurance to PM-JAY. Descriptive statistics and quasi-experimental methods will be used to analyze quantitative data, while thematic analysis will be used to analyze qualitative data. The study design presented represents the first effort to jointly evaluate implementation processes and early effects of the largest government-funded health insurance scheme ever launched in India.}, }
@article {pmid33114239, year = {2020}, author = {Shriner, SA and Root, JJ}, title = {A Review of Avian Influenza A Virus Associations in Synanthropic Birds.}, journal = {Viruses}, volume = {12}, number = {11}, pages = {}, pmid = {33114239}, issn = {1999-4915}, mesh = {Animals ; Animals, Domestic/virology ; Animals, Wild/*virology ; Birds/classification/*virology ; Influenza A virus/*physiology ; Influenza in Birds/*transmission ; Poultry/*virology ; }, abstract = {Avian influenza A viruses (IAV) have received significant attention due to the threat they pose to human, livestock, and wildlife health. In this review, we focus on what is known about IAV dynamics in less common avian species that may play a role in trafficking IAVs to poultry operations. Specifically, we focus on synanthropic bird species. Synanthropic species, otherwise known as peridomestic, are species that are ecologically associated with humans and anthropogenically modified landscapes, such as agricultural and urban areas. Aquatic birds such as waterfowl and shorebirds are the species most commonly associated with avian IAVs, and are generally considered the reservoir or maintenance hosts in the natural ecology of these viruses. Waterfowl and shorebirds are occasionally associated with poultry facilities, but are uncommon or absent in many areas, especially large commercial operations. In these cases, spillover hosts that share resources with both maintenance hosts and target hosts such as poultry may play an important role in introducing wild bird viruses onto farms. Consequently, our focus here is on what is known about IAV dynamics in synanthropic hosts that are commonly found on both farms and in nearby habitats, such as fields, lakes, wetlands, or riparian areas occupied by waterfowl or shorebirds.}, }
@article {pmid33113033, year = {2021}, author = {Laumer, IB and Jelbert, SA and Taylor, AH and Rössler, T and Auersperg, AMI}, title = {Object manufacture based on a memorized template: Goffin's cockatoos attend to different model features.}, journal = {Animal cognition}, volume = {24}, number = {3}, pages = {457-470}, pmid = {33113033}, issn = {1435-9456}, support = {P 29075/FWF_/Austrian Science Fund FWF/Austria ; P29075//FWF/ ; CS 18-023//WWTF/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Cockatoos ; Learning ; Memory ; *Parrots ; Reward ; }, abstract = {Although several nonhuman animals have the ability to recognize and match templates in computerized tasks, we know little about their ability to recall and then physically manufacture specific features of mental templates. Across three experiments, Goffin cockatoos (Cacatua goffiniana), a species that can use tools in captivity, were exposed to two pre-made template objects, varying in either colour, size (long or short) or shape (I or L-shaped), where only one template was rewarded. Birds were then given the opportunity to manufacture versions of these objects themselves. We found that all birds carved paper strips from the same colour material as the rewarded template, and half were also able to match the size of a template (long and short). This occurred despite the template being absent at test and birds being rewarded at random. However, we found no evidence that cockatoos could carve L-shaped pieces after learning that L-shaped templates were rewarded, though their manufactured strips were wider than in previous tests. Overall, our results show that Goffin cockatoos possess the ability to physically adjust at least the size dimension of manufactured objects relative to a mental template. This ability has previously only been shown in New Caledonian crows, where template matching was suggested as a potential mechanism allowing for the cumulative cultural transmission of tool designs. Our results show that within avian tool users, the ability to recreate a physical template from memory does not seem to be restricted to species that have cumulative tool cultures.}, }
@article {pmid33102596, year = {2020}, author = {Prabhakar, SK and Rajaguru, H and Kim, SH}, title = {An Amalgamated Approach to Bilevel Feature Selection Techniques Utilizing Soft Computing Methods for Classifying Colon Cancer.}, journal = {BioMed research international}, volume = {2020}, number = {}, pages = {8427574}, pmid = {33102596}, issn = {2314-6141}, mesh = {Algorithms ; Colonic Neoplasms/*genetics/*pathology ; Discriminant Analysis ; Gene Expression/genetics ; Gene Expression Profiling/methods ; Humans ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis/methods ; }, abstract = {One of the deadliest diseases which affects the large intestine is colon cancer. Older adults are typically affected by colon cancer though it can happen at any age. It generally starts as small benign growth of cells that forms on the inside of the colon, and later, it develops into cancer. Due to the propagation of somatic alterations that affects the gene expression, colon cancer is caused. A standardized format for assessing the expression levels of thousands of genes is provided by the DNA microarray technology. The tumors of various anatomical regions can be distinguished by the patterns of gene expression in microarray technology. As the microarray data is too huge to process due to the curse of dimensionality problem, an amalgamated approach of utilizing bilevel feature selection techniques is proposed in this paper. In the first level, the genes or the features are dimensionally reduced with the help of Multivariate Minimum Redundancy-Maximum Relevance (MRMR) technique. Then, in the second level, six optimization techniques are utilized in this work for selecting the best genes or features before proceeding to classification process. The optimization techniques considered in this work are Invasive Weed Optimization (IWO), Teaching Learning-Based Optimization (TLBO), League Championship Optimization (LCO), Beetle Antennae Search Optimization (BASO), Crow Search Optimization (CSO), and Fruit Fly Optimization (FFO). Finally, it is classified with five suitable classifiers, and the best results show when IWO is utilized with MRMR, and then classified with Quadratic Discriminant Analysis (QDA), a classification accuracy of 99.16% is obtained.}, }
@article {pmid33096932, year = {2020}, author = {Blazkova, B and Pastorkova, A and Solansky, I and Veleminsky, M and Veleminsky, M and Rossnerova, A and Honkova, K and Rossner, P and Sram, RJ}, title = {The Impact of Cesarean and Vaginal Delivery on Results of Psychological Cognitive Test in 5 Year Old Children.}, journal = {Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania)}, volume = {56}, number = {10}, pages = {}, pmid = {33096932}, issn = {1648-9144}, support = {NV 18-09-00151//Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic/ ; }, mesh = {*Cesarean Section ; Child, Preschool ; *Delivery, Obstetric ; Female ; Humans ; Mothers ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Pregnancy ; Psychological Tests ; }, abstract = {Background and objectives: The impact of cesarean and vaginal delivery on cognitive development was analyzed in 5 year old children. Materials and Methods: Two cohorts of 5 year old children born in the years 2013 and 2014 in Karvina (Northern Moravia) and Ceske Budejovice (Southern Bohemia) were studied for their cognitive development related to vaginal (n = 117) and cesarean types of delivery (n = 51). The Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test (BG test) and the Raven Colored Progressive Matrices (RCPM test) were used as psychological tests. Results: In the comparison of vaginal delivery vs. cesarean section, the children delivered by cesarean section scored lower and, therefore, achieved poorer performance in cognitive tests compared to those born by vaginal delivery, as shown in the RCPM (p < 0.001) and in the BG test (p < 0.001). When mothers' education level was considered, the children whose mothers achieved a university degree scored higher in both the RCPM test (p < 0.001) and the BG test (p < 0.01) compared to the children of mothers with lower secondary education. When comparing mothers with a university degree to those with higher secondary education, there was a significant correlation between level of education and score achieved in the RCPM test (p < 0.001), but not in the BG test. Conclusions: According to our findings, the mode of delivery seems to have a significant influence on performance in psychological cognitive tests in 5 year old children in favor of those who were born by vaginal delivery. Since cesarean-born children scored notably below vaginally born children, it appears possible that cesarean delivery may have a convincingly adverse effect on children's further cognitive development.}, }
@article {pmid33092864, year = {2021}, author = {Devarapalli, R and Bhattacharyya, B and Sinha, NK and Dey, B}, title = {Amended GWO approach based multi-machine power system stability enhancement.}, journal = {ISA transactions}, volume = {109}, number = {}, pages = {152-174}, doi = {10.1016/j.isatra.2020.09.016}, pmid = {33092864}, issn = {1879-2022}, abstract = {The conception of electromechanical oscillations initiates in the power network when there is an installation of the generator in parallel with the existent one. Further, the interconnection of multiple areas, extension in transmission, capricious load characteristics, etc. causes low-frequency oscillations in the consolidated power network. This paper proposes variants of a booming population-based grey wolf optimization (GWO) algorithm in the tuning of power system stabilizer parameters of a multi-machine system in damping low-frequency oscillations. The parameters have been tuned by framing an objective function considering the improving damping ratios for the system states with lesser damping ratios and shifting the system eigenvalues towards the left-hand side of s-plane for the improved settling characteristics for the oscillations in the system. The requisites of stabilizer strategy are mapped with the hallmarks of prevalent algorithms and designed hybrid versions of GWO for the enhancement of the multi-machine power system stability. Four variants of GWO technique are nominated based on the competent stabilizer performance namely, modified grey wolf optimization (MGWO), hybrid MGWO particle swarm optimization (MGWOPSO), hybrid MGWO sine cosine algorithm (MGWOSCA) and hybrid MGWO crow search algorithm (MGWOCSA) for the designed multi-machine power network. The proposed methods have been realized with the statistical analysis on the 23 benchmark functions. Nonparametric statistical tests, namely, Feidman test, Anova test and Quade tests, have been performed on the test system, further analysed in detail. A detailed comparative analysis under the self-clearing fault is presented to illustrate the suitability of the proposed techniques. For the analysis purpose, the location of system eigenvalues has been observed along with their oscillating frequencies and corresponding damping ratios. Further, the damping nature offered with considered system uncertainty for the system states also presented with the PSS parameters obtained by the proposed algorithms.}, }
@article {pmid33092614, year = {2020}, author = {Schvartz, G and Farnoushi, Y and Berkowitz, A and Edery, N and Hahn, S and Steinman, A and Lublin, A and Erster, O}, title = {Molecular characterization of the re-emerging West Nile virus in avian species and equids in Israel, 2018, and pathological description of the disease.}, journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors}, volume = {13}, number = {1}, pages = {528}, pmid = {33092614}, issn = {1756-3305}, support = {33-04-0002//Israli Ministry of Agriculture/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Animals, Wild/virology ; Autopsy ; Birds/*virology ; Charadriiformes/virology ; Crows/virology ; Equidae/*virology ; Geese/virology ; Genes, Viral ; Horses/virology ; Israel/epidemiology ; Livestock/virology ; Phylogeny ; Viral Load ; *West Nile Fever/pathology/transmission/veterinary ; *West Nile virus/genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: In this report we describe the molecular and pathological characteristics of West Nile virus (WNV) infection that occurred during the summer and fall of 2018 in avian species and equines. WNV is reported in Israel since the 1950s, with occasional outbreaks leading to significant morbidity and mortality in birds, high infection in horses and humans, and sporadic fatalities in humans.<br><br>METHODS: Animal and avian carcasses in a suitable condition were examined by post-mortem analysis. Tissue samples were examined for WNV by RT-qPCR and the viral load was quantified. Samples with sufficient material quality were further analyzed by Endpoint PCR and sequencing, which was used for phylogenetic analysis. Tissue samples from positive animals were used for culturing the virus in Vero and C6/36 cells.<br><br>RESULTS: WNV RNA was detected in one yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis), two long-eared owls (Asio otus), two domesticated geese (Anser anser), one pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), four hooded crows (Corvus cornix), three horses and one donkey. Pathological and histopathological findings were characteristic of viral infection. Molecular analysis and viral load quantification showed varying degrees of infection, ranging between 70-1.4 × 106 target copies per sample. Phylogenetic analysis of a 906-bp genomic segment showed that all samples belonged to Lineage 1 clade 1a, with the following partition: five samples from 2018 and one sample detected in 2016 were of Cluster 2 Eastern European, two of Cluster 2 Mediterranean and four of Cluster 4. Four of the positive samples was successfully propagated in C6/36 and Vero cell lines for further work.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: WNV is constantly circulating in wild and domesticated birds and animals in Israel, necessitating constant surveillance in birds and equines. At least three WNV strains were circulating in the suspected birds and animals examined. Quantitative analysis showed that the viral load varies significantly between different organs and tissues of the infected animals.}, }
@article {pmid33083225, year = {2020}, author = {Basso, W and Alvarez Rojas, CA and Buob, D and Ruetten, M and Deplazes, P}, title = {Sarcocystis infection in red deer (Cervus elaphus) with eosinophilic myositis/fasciitis in Switzerland and involvement of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and hunting dogs in the transmission.}, journal = {International journal for parasitology. Parasites and wildlife}, volume = {13}, number = {}, pages = {130-141}, pmid = {33083225}, issn = {2213-2244}, abstract = {Red deer (Cervus elaphus) carcasses showing grey-greenish discolouration have been increasingly observed in the canton of Grisons, Switzerland. We investigated whether Sarcocystis infections were associated with this pathology, and whether wild and domestic canids were involved in their transmission. Meat from affected red deer (n = 26), faeces and intestines from red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) (n = 126), and faeces from hunting dogs (n = 12) from the region, were analysed. Eosinophilic myositis and/or fasciitis were diagnosed in 69% of the deer, and sarcocysts were observed in 89% of the animals. Molecular typing targeting a ~700bp variable region of the 18S rRNA gene revealed Sarcocystis hjorti in 73%, S. venatoria/S. iberica in 54%, S. linearis/S. taeniata in 12%, S. pilosa in 8% and S. ovalis in 4% of the deer samples. No inflammatory changes were observed in red deer carcasses with normal appearance (n = 8); however, sarcocysts were observed in one sample, and S. hjorti, S. venatoria/S. iberica or S. silva DNA was detected in five samples. Sarcocystis oocysts/sporocysts were observed in 11/106 faecal and 6/20 intestinal fox samples, and in 2/12 canine samples. Sarcocystis tenella (n = 8), S. hjorti (n = 2), S. gracilis (n = 2), and S. miescheriana (n = 1) were identified in foxes, and S. gracilis (n = 2), S. capreolicanis (n = 1) and S. linearis/S. taeniata (n = 1) in dogs. This study provides first molecular evidence of S. pilosa and S. silva infection in red deer and S. linearis/S. taeniata in dogs and represents the first record of S. ovalis transmitted by corvids in Central Europe. Although Sarcocystis species infecting red deer are not regarded as zoonotic, the affected carcasses can be declared as unfit for human consumption due to the extensive pathological changes.}, }
@article {pmid33081240, year = {2020}, author = {Sen, K and Shepherd, V and Berglund, T and Quintana, A and Puim, S and Tadmori, R and J Turner, R and Khalil, L and Soares, MA}, title = {American Crows as Carriers of Extra Intestinal Pathogenic E. coli and Avian Pathogenic-Like E. coli and Their Potential Impact on a Constructed Wetland.}, journal = {Microorganisms}, volume = {8}, number = {10}, pages = {}, pmid = {33081240}, issn = {2076-2607}, support = {University of Washington, Bothell//UW Bothell Facilities Services, Bothell, WA./ ; King County , WA//King County Water Works Grant Program/ ; }, abstract = {The study examines whether crows are carriers of extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) and avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC)-like strains, and if wetland roost areas contribute to their spread. A total of 10 crow feces (n = 71) and 15 water E. coli isolates (n = 134) from a wetland area could be characterized as potentially ExPEC based on the presence of ≥2 of the five cardinal genes iutA, kpsMT2, papEF, pap A/C, papG, sfa/foc, and afa/dra, while six fecal and 14 water isolates could be characterized as potentially APEC-like based on the presence of plasmid associated genes: iutA, episomal iss, ompT, hlyF and iroN. A total of 32 fecal and 27 water isolates tested carried plasmids based on incompatibility typing. Plasmids from 34 of 38 isolates tested could be transferred to another E. coli strain by conjugation with the antibiotic resistance (AR) profile being transferred, indicating their potential to be transferred to indigenous and non-pathogenic strains in the wetland. APEC-like plasmids could be transferred in six of eight isolates tested. Pathogenic E. coli of importance to the medical community and poultry industry may be detected in high levels in surface water due to corvid activity. Regardless of their role in health or disease, water in wetlands and streams can serve as a media for the dissemination of AR and virulence traits of bacteria, with corvids acting as potential vectors for farther dissemination.}, }
@article {pmid33079060, year = {2020}, author = {Horn, L and Bugnyar, T and Griesser, M and Hengl, M and Izawa, EI and Oortwijn, T and Rössler, C and Scheer, C and Schiestl, M and Suyama, M and Taylor, AH and Vanhooland, LC and von Bayern, AM and Zürcher, Y and Massen, JJ}, title = {Sex-specific effects of cooperative breeding and colonial nesting on prosociality in corvids.}, journal = {eLife}, volume = {9}, number = {}, pages = {}, pmid = {33079060}, issn = {2050-084X}, support = {P26806//Austrian Science Fund/International ; JPMJCR17A4//JST CREST/International ; MKJ1905//Keio University ICR Projects/International ; Rutherford Discovery Fellowship//Royal Society of New Zealand/International ; Marie Jahoda grant//University of Vienna/International ; Y366-B17//Austrian Science Fund/International ; CS11-008//Vienna Science and Technology Fund/International ; 31BD30_172465//ERA-Net BiodivERsA/International ; Förderungsstipendium//University of Vienna/International ; Uni:Docs doctoral fellowship//University of Vienna/International ; 17H02653//JSPS KAKENHI/International ; 16H06324//JSPS KAKENHI/International ; 15J02148//JSPS KAKENHI/International ; Förderungsstipendium//University of Vienna/International ; KAKENHI 17H02653//JSPS/International ; KAKENHI 16H06324//JSPS/International ; KAKENHI 15J02148//JSPS/International ; CREST JPMJCR17A4//JST/International ; ICR Projects MKJ1905//Keio University/International ; }, mesh = {Altruism ; Animals ; *Cooperative Behavior ; *Crows ; Female ; Male ; *Nesting Behavior ; Phylogeny ; Sex Factors ; }, abstract = {The investigation of prosocial behavior is of particular interest from an evolutionary perspective. Comparisons of prosociality across non-human animal species have, however, so far largely focused on primates, and their interpretation is hampered by the diversity of paradigms and procedures used. Here, we present the first systematic comparison of prosocial behavior across multiple species in a taxonomic group outside the primate order, namely the bird family Corvidae. We measured prosociality in eight corvid species, which vary in the expression of cooperative breeding and colonial nesting. We show that cooperative breeding is positively associated with prosocial behavior across species. Also, colonial nesting is associated with a stronger propensity for prosocial behavior, but only in males. The combined results of our study strongly suggest that both cooperative breeding and colonial nesting, which may both rely on heightened social tolerance at the nest, are likely evolutionary pathways to prosocial behavior in corvids.}, }
@article {pmid33076765, year = {2021}, author = {Rindermann, H and Laura Ackermann, A}, title = {Piagetian Tasks and Psychometric Intelligence: Different or Similar Constructs?.}, journal = {Psychological reports}, volume = {124}, number = {6}, pages = {2795-2821}, doi = {10.1177/0033294120965876}, pmid = {33076765}, issn = {1558-691X}, mesh = {Child ; Child, Preschool ; *Cognition ; Humans ; *Intelligence ; Intelligence Tests ; Problem Solving ; Psychometrics ; Schools ; }, abstract = {Research on cognitive ability is done in different paradigms. In the Piagetian paradigm, cognitive ability focuses on cognitive development along qualitative stages. Interactive real scenarios, "Piagetian tasks", are constructed for measurement. According to age, tasks differing in complexity are applied in individual measurements. In the psychometric paradigm, the investigation of cognitive ability focuses on individual differences. Intelligence is seen as a quantitative construct with gradual differences between persons and ages. Paper-and-pencil tests with items differing in difficulty are used for IQ measurement of single persons or school classes. However, do those tasks measure two distinct cognitive abilities? Solving tasks in both approaches requires basic (speed, working memory) and complex cognitive abilities (reasoning, understanding). Regarding empirical relationships, we used three Austrian samples (in kindergarten four to six years old N = 40, in primary school six to eight years old N = 40, and nine to ten years old N = 41). They were tested with psychometric tests (Raven CPM or SPM) and Piagetian tasks. In addition, mental speed (ZVT) was measured in the two school samples. The average observed correlation between IQ and Piagetian tasks was r = .51. In factor analyses, the tests loaded on a common factor of general intelligence. Further analyses revealed that mental speed is correlated more strongly with psychometric (r = .50) than with Piagetian tasks (r = .39), while Piagetian tasks are more related to parental education indicators (speed: r = .11, Raven: r = .20, Piaget: r = .25).}, }
@article {pmid33058453, year = {2021}, author = {Lifshit, HB and Bustan, N and Shnitzer-Meirovich, S}, title = {Intelligence trajectories in adolescents and adults with down syndrome: Cognitively stimulating leisure activities mitigate health and ADL problems.}, journal = {Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARID}, volume = {34}, number = {2}, pages = {491-506}, doi = {10.1111/jar.12813}, pmid = {33058453}, issn = {1468-3148}, support = {//The Shalem Fund for the Development of Services for People with Intellectual Disabilities in the Local Councils in Israel/ ; }, mesh = {Activities of Daily Living ; Adolescent ; Adult ; *Down Syndrome ; Humans ; *Intellectual Disability ; Intelligence ; Leisure Activities ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult ; }, abstract = {GOALS: This study examined: (a) crystallized/fluid intelligence trajectories of adolescents and adults with Down syndrome; and (b) the contribution of endogenous (health, activities of daily living-ADL) and exogenous (cognitively stimulating leisure activities) factors on adults' intelligence with age.<br><br>METHOD: Four cohorts (N = 80) with Down syndrome participated: adolescents (ages 16-21) and adults (ages 30-45, 46-60 and 61+). All completed Vocabulary and Similarities (crystallized) and Block Design and Raven (fluid) intelligence tests (WAIS-IIIHEB , Wechsler, 2001).<br><br>RESULTS: The 30-45 cohort significantly outperformed the 16-21 cohort. Except for Vocabulary, which remained stable, onset of decline was at 40-50. Age-related declining health and ADL correlated with participants' lower fluid intelligence, but cognitive leisure activities mitigated this influence.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Intelligence development into adulthood supported the continuous trajectory and compensation age theory, rather than accelerated or stable trajectories. Not only endogenous factors but also exogenous factors determined intelligence levels in adults with Down syndrome, supporting cognitive activity theory.}, }
@article {pmid33055870, year = {2020}, author = {Rix, MG and Wilson, JD and Harvey, MS}, title = {The open-holed trapdoor spiders (Mygalomorphae: Anamidae: Namea) of Australia's D'Aguilar Range: revealing an unexpected subtropical hotspot of rainforest diversity.}, journal = {Zootaxa}, volume = {4861}, number = {1}, pages = {zootaxa.4861.1.5}, doi = {10.11646/zootaxa.4861.1.5}, pmid = {33055870}, issn = {1175-5334}, mesh = {Animals ; Australia ; Phylogeny ; *Rainforest ; *Spiders ; }, abstract = {The D'Aguilar Range of subtropical south-eastern Queensland (Australia), harbours an upland rainforest biota characterised by high levels of endemic diversity. Following recent phylogenetic and biogeographic research into the open-holed trapdoor spiders of the genus Namea Raven, 1984 (family Anamidae), remarkable levels of sympatry for a single genus of mygalomorph spiders were recorded from the D'Aguilar Range. It is now known that eight different species in the genus can be found in the D'Aguilar uplands, with five apparently endemic to rainforest habitats. In this paper we present a phylogenetic and taxonomic synopsis of the remarkable anamid fauna of the D'Aguilar Range: a key to the eight species is provided, and four new species of Namea are described (N. gloriosa sp. nov., N. gowardae sp. nov., N. nebo sp. nov. and N. nigritarsus sp. nov.). In shining a spotlight on the mygalomorph spiders of this region, we highlight the D'Aguilar Range as a hotspot of subtropical rainforest diversity, and an area of considerable conservation value.}, }
@article {pmid33055625, year = {2020}, author = {James, HF}, title = {The Irvingtonian Avifauna of Cumberland Bone Cave, Maryland.}, journal = {Zootaxa}, volume = {4772}, number = {1}, pages = {zootaxa.4772.1.4}, doi = {10.11646/zootaxa.4772.1.4}, pmid = {33055625}, issn = {1175-5334}, mesh = {Animals ; Caves ; *Columbidae ; Maryland ; }, abstract = {The early and mid-Pleistocene avian communities of North America are best known from the Rocky Mountain region and peninsular Florida. In the Appalachian Mountain region, only a small number of avian bones from mid-latitude cave deposits have been attributed to this time period. Here, I enlarge this record by reporting on bird bones from Cumberland Bone Cave in western Maryland, a well-known locality for large and small Irvingtonian mammals and other vertebrates. The taxa identified encompass ground birds, waterfowl, a hawk, two eagles, a vulture, an owl, a jay, a flycatcher, a junco or sparrow, and a finch. No purely boreal elements are confirmed as part of the avian assemblage, and all of the extant species that are positively or tentatively identified in the assemblage still occur in the region today. An immature bone referred to the Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus (Bechstein)) represents an Irvingtonian breeding record for the species in Maryland. This record occurs at the northern limit of the current breeding range for the genus. Extinct species in the assemblage include the Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius (Linnaeus)), a large screech owl (Megascops guildayi (Brodkorb Mourer-Chauviré 1984)), and the large goose, Branta dickeyi Miller 1924. It can be argued that none of these represent the extinction of a phyletic lineage during the Irvingtonian. Based on the broad habitat preferences of modern counterparts of the birds in the assemblage, we can expect that Irvingtonian habitats near the site included mixed forest with mast-producing hardwoods and both early and later successional stages represented. There must have been fluvial, wetland, or lacustrine habitat suitable for waterbirds nearby, and probably also open woodland or grassy savannah areas, suitable for vulture foraging, turkey nesting, and booming by Ruffed Grouse.}, }
@article {pmid33047024, year = {2020}, author = {Muñoz-Ramírez, CP and Barnes, DKA and Cárdenas, L and Meredith, MP and Morley, SA and Roman-Gonzalez, A and Sands, CJ and Scourse, J and Brante, A}, title = {Gene flow in the Antarctic bivalve Aequiyoldia eightsii (Jay, 1839) suggests a role for the Antarctic Peninsula Coastal Current in larval dispersal.}, journal = {Royal Society open science}, volume = {7}, number = {9}, pages = {200603}, pmid = {33047024}, issn = {2054-5703}, abstract = {The Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) dominates the open-ocean circulation of the Southern Ocean, and both isolates and connects the Southern Ocean biodiversity. However, the impact on biological processes of other Southern Ocean currents is less clear. Adjacent to the West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP), the ACC flows offshore in a northeastward direction, whereas the Antarctic Peninsula Coastal Current (APCC) follows a complex circulation pattern along the coast, with topographically influenced deflections depending on the area. Using genomic data, we estimated genetic structure and migration rates between populations of the benthic bivalve Aequiyoldia eightsii from the shallows of southern South America and the WAP to test the role of the ACC and the APCC in its dispersal. We found strong genetic structure across the ACC (between southern South America and Antarctica) and moderate structure between populations of the WAP. Migration rates along the WAP were consistent with the APCC being important for species dispersal. Along with supporting current knowledge about ocean circulation models at the WAP, migration from the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula to the Bellingshausen Sea highlights the complexities of Southern Ocean circulation. This study provides novel biological evidence of a role of the APCC as a driver of species dispersal and highlights the power of genomic data for aiding in the understanding of the influence of complex oceanographic processes in shaping the population structure of marine species.}, }
@article {pmid33030595, year = {2020}, author = {Fernando, WBPS and Perera, SPPM and Vithanarachchi, RM and Wijesekera, RD and Wijesinghe, MR}, title = {Heavy metal accumulation in two synanthropic avian species in Sri Lanka.}, journal = {Environmental monitoring and assessment}, volume = {192}, number = {11}, pages = {688}, doi = {10.1007/s10661-020-08654-y}, pmid = {33030595}, issn = {1573-2959}, mesh = {Animals ; Environmental Monitoring ; *Environmental Pollutants/analysis ; Feathers/chemistry ; Humans ; *Metals, Heavy/analysis ; Sri Lanka ; }, abstract = {We assessed the levels of Pb, Cd, and Mn in contour feathers of the feral pigeon (Columba livia) and house crow (Corvus splendens) obtained from five urban/suburban locations across Sri Lanka, using the AAS following wet digestion. Our key objectives were to compare accumulation levels in the two avian species with different foraging habits and living in common locations, and to establish baseline information on the presence of these metals in multiple locations in Sri Lanka with varying levels of urbanization. Owing to reservations that have been expressed by previous workers regarding the use of feathers for assessing heavy metal pollution, we first tested the efficacy of contour feathers by using our data for comparing the coefficients of variation in metal levels within and between locations. This showed that in over 95% of the cases, variations within locations were lower than between locations, indicating that freshly shed contour feathers that were used in the present study were reliable indicators of the status of bioaccumulation of the heavy metals in the environment. In interspecific comparisons, other than in the two suburban locations, Pb was present at much higher levels in the house crow than in the feral pigeon, whereas accumulation patterns with respect to Cd and Mn were inconsistent, suggesting that granivores may not, in all situations, accumulate lower levels than scavengers in the same environment. Owing to such interspecific variations in the patterns of accumulation of different heavy metals, the selection of a single species for assessing levels of pollution from heavy metals may not be prudent. Pb and Cd levels in both species were strongly and positively associated with human population density. The levels of Pb and Cd were highest in Colombo (commercial capital). In Colombo and Kalutara, the recorded levels in the house crow exceeded the thresholds that have the potential to inflict adverse impacts on avian species.}, }
@article {pmid33025666, year = {2021}, author = {Flanagan, AM and Masuda, B and Grueber, CE and Sutton, JT}, title = {Moving from trends to benchmarks by using regression tree analysis to find inbreeding thresholds in a critically endangered bird.}, journal = {Conservation biology : the journal of the Society for Conservation Biology}, volume = {35}, number = {4}, pages = {1278-1287}, doi = {10.1111/cobi.13650}, pmid = {33025666}, issn = {1523-1739}, support = {1345247//National Science Foundation/ ; }, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; *Benchmarking ; Birds/genetics ; Conservation of Natural Resources ; Endangered Species ; Humans ; *Inbreeding ; }, abstract = {Understanding how inbreeding affects endangered species in conservation breeding programs is essential for their recovery. The Hawaiian Crow ('Alalā) (Corvus hawaiiensis) is one of the world's most endangered birds. It went extinct in the wild in 2002, and, until recent release efforts starting in 2016, nearly all of the population remained under human care for conservation breeding. Using pedigree inbreeding coefficients (F), we evaluated the effects of inbreeding on Hawaiian Crow offspring survival and reproductive success. We used regression tree analysis to identify the level of inbreeding (i.e., inbreeding threshold) that explains a substantial decrease in 'Alalā offspring survival to recruitment. Similar to a previous study of inbreeding in 'Alalā, we found that inbreeding had a negative impact on offspring survival but that parental (vs. artificial) egg incubation improved offspring survival to recruitment. Furthermore, we found that inbreeding did not substantially affect offspring reproductive success, based on the assumption that offspring that survive to adulthood breed with distantly related mates. Our novel application of regression tree analysis showed that offspring with inbreeding levels exceeding F = 0.098 were 69% less likely to survive to recruitment than more outbred offspring, providing a specific threshold value for ongoing population management. Our results emphasize the importance of assessing inbreeding depression across all life history stages, confirm the importance of prioritizing parental over artificial egg incubation in avian conservation breeding programs, and demonstrate the utility of regression tree analysis as a tool for identifying inbreeding thresholds, if present, in any pedigree-managed population.}, }
@article {pmid33017667, year = {2020}, author = {Themelin, M and Ribic, CA and Melillo-Sweeting, K and Dudzinski, KM}, title = {A new approach to the study of relationship quality in dolphins: Framework and preliminary results.}, journal = {Behavioural processes}, volume = {181}, number = {}, pages = {104260}, doi = {10.1016/j.beproc.2020.104260}, pmid = {33017667}, issn = {1872-8308}, mesh = {Animals ; *Bottle-Nosed Dolphin ; Ecosystem ; Social Behavior ; Swimming ; }, abstract = {Proximity and synchronous behaviours from surface observations have been used to measure association patterns within and between dolphin dyads. To facilitate an investigation of relationship quality in dolphins, we applied a method used for primates and ravens that examined three main components to describe relationships: value, security, and compatibility. Using pilot data from long-term research of two study populations for this preliminary assessment, these three components were extracted from PCA of eight behavioural variables with more than 80 % variance accounted for in both study groups. Only pair swim position differed between groups. Although value, security, and compatibility are abstract terms, each is based on behaviours identified as important in dolphin social life, at least for these two populations. Examining relationship quality in dolphins with a method used to illustrate dyadic differences for primates and ravens allows for a quantitative, comparative assessment of sociality across disparate taxa. Although these species are diverse in their anatomies and in their social habitats (e.g., aquatic, terrestrial, aerial), they may well share the basic societal building blocks in the factors affecting how relationships are formed. We discuss how an examination of these behavioural variables facilitates understanding relationship quality in dolphins, as well as how dolphin relationships fit into the context of social animals' society.}, }
@article {pmid33005675, year = {2020}, author = {Carrera-Játiva, PD and Morgan, ER and Barrows, M and Jiménez-Uzcátegui, G and Tituaña, JRA}, title = {Free-ranging avifauna as a source of generalist parasites for captive birds in zoological settings: An overview of parasite records and potential for cross-transmission.}, journal = {Journal of advanced veterinary and animal research}, volume = {7}, number = {3}, pages = {482-500}, pmid = {33005675}, issn = {2311-7710}, abstract = {Captive birds in zoological settings often harbor parasites, but little information is available about the potential for free-ranging avifauna to act as a source of infection. This review summarizes the gastrointestinal parasites found in zoo birds globally and in seven common free-ranging avian species [mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian blackbird (Turdus merula), common starling (Sturnus vulgaris), Eurasian jackdaw (Corvus monedula), house sparrow (Passer domesticus), European robin (Erithacus rubecula), and rock dove (Columba livia)] to identify the overlap and discuss the potential for cross-species transmission. Over 70 references were assessed, and papers spanned over 90 years from 1925 to 2019. A total of 60 studies from 1987 to 2019 met the eligibility criteria. All examined free-ranging avifauna harbored parasite species that were also reported in zoo birds, except for the European jackdaw. Parasites reported in captive and free-ranging birds include nematodes (Capillaria caudinflata, Dispharynx nasuta, Ornithostrongylus quadriradiatus, Strongyloides avium, Syngamus trachea, and Tetrameres fissispina), cestodes (Dicranotaenia coronula, Diorchis stefanskii, Fimbriaria fasciolaris, and Raillietina cesticillus, Sobolevicanthus gracilis), trematode (Echinostoma revolutum), and protozoa (Cryptosporidium baileyi). Although no study effectively proved cross-transmission either experimentally or by genetic analysis, these parasites demonstrate low host specificity and a high potential for parasite sharing. There is potential for parasite sharing whenever determinants such as host specificity, life cycle, and husbandry are favorable. More research should be carried out to describe parasites in both captive and free-ranging birds in zoological settings and the likelihood of cross-infection. Such information would contribute to evidence-based control measures, enhancing effective husbandry and preventive medicine protocols.}, }
@article {pmid33005135, year = {2020}, author = {Shpurov, IY and Vlasova, RM and Rumshiskaya, AD and Rozovskaya, RI and Mershina, EA and Sinitsyn, VE and Pechenkova, EV}, title = {Neural Correlates of Group Versus Individual Problem Solving Revealed by fMRI.}, journal = {Frontiers in human neuroscience}, volume = {14}, number = {}, pages = {290}, pmid = {33005135}, issn = {1662-5161}, abstract = {Group problem solving is a prototypical complex collective intellectual activity. Psychological research provides compelling evidence that problem solving in groups is both qualitatively and quantitatively different from doing so alone. However, the question of whether individual and collective problem solving involve the same neural substrate has not yet been addressed, mainly due to methodological limitations. In the current study, functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed to compare brain activation when participants solved Raven-like matrix problems in a small group and individually. In the group condition, the participant in the scanner was able to discuss the problem with other team members using a special communication device. In the individual condition, the participant was required to think aloud while solving the problem in the silent presence of the other team members. Greater activation was found in several brain regions during group problem solving, including the medial prefrontal cortex; lateral parietal, cingulate, precuneus and retrosplenial cortices; frontal and temporal poles. These areas have been identified as potential components of the so-called "social brain" on the basis of research using offline judgments of material related to socializing. Therefore, this study demonstrated the actual involvement of these regions in real-time social interactions, such as group problem solving. However, further connectivity analysis revealed that the social brain components are co-activated, but do not increase their coupling during cooperation as would be suggested for a holistic network. We suggest that the social mode of the brain may be described instead as a re-configuration of connectivity between basic networks, and we found decreased connectivity between the language and salience networks in the group compared to the individual condition. A control experiment showed that the findings from the main experiment cannot be entirely accounted for by discourse comprehension. Thus, the study demonstrates affordances provided by the presented new technique for neuroimaging the "group mind," implementing the single-brain version of the second-person neuroscience approach.}, }
@article {pmid33003545, year = {2020}, author = {Lin, Y and Zhang, X and Huang, Q and Lv, L and Huang, A and Li, A and Wu, K and Huang, Y}, title = {The Prevalence of Dyslexia in Primary School Children and Their Chinese Literacy Assessment in Shantou, China.}, journal = {International journal of environmental research and public health}, volume = {17}, number = {19}, pages = {}, pmid = {33003545}, issn = {1660-4601}, mesh = {Asians/*statistics &amp; numerical data ; Child ; China ; Dyslexia/*epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Language Tests ; *Literacy ; Male ; Prevalence ; *Reading ; Schools ; }, abstract = {The epidemiological studies of Chinese developmental dyslexia (DD) in China are still limited. In addition, literacy assessment has seldom been performed for children with dyslexia, due to lack of uniform assessment tools. This study was aimed at investigating the prevalence rate of children with dyslexia, and to evaluate their Chinese reading ability. A total of 2955 students aged 7-12 years were enrolled by randomized cluster sampling. The study was divided into three stages. In stage I, all participating students were asked to finish the Combined Raven Test (CRT) and Chinese Vocabulary Test and Assessment Scale. In stage II, the Chinese teachers and parents of the children with suspected dyslexia were interviewed by psychiatrists, and finished the Dyslexia Checklist for Chinese Children (DCCC). In stage III, these children were evaluated by child psychiatrists for the diagnosis with or without dyslexia, according to the fifth edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), and their Chinese literacy was further evaluated by using the Chinese Reading Ability Test (CRAT). The prevalence rate of children with dyslexia was 5.4% in Shantou city, 8.4% in boys and 2.3% in girls, with a gender ratio of 3.7:1.0. Children with dyslexia scored lower in all the five subscales of the CRAT tests. including phonological awareness, morphological awareness, rapid automatized naming, orthographic awareness, and reading ability than the control group (all p < 0.001). This study suggested that the prevalence rate of Chinese dyslexia in Shantou city is roughly equivalent to that previously reported in China. Children with dyslexia have a relatively lower Chinese reading ability in all assessments.}, }
@article {pmid32999416, year = {2020}, author = {Massen, JJM and Haley, SM and Bugnyar, T}, title = {Azure-winged magpies' decisions to share food are contingent on the presence or absence of food for the recipient.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {10}, number = {1}, pages = {16147}, pmid = {32999416}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Altruism ; Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; Cues ; Feeding Behavior/*psychology ; Female ; Food ; *Gift Giving ; Male ; Motivation ; Passeriformes ; Social Behavior ; }, abstract = {Helping others is a key feature of human behavior. However, recent studies render this feature not uniquely human, and describe discoveries of prosocial behavior in non-human primates, other social mammals, and most recently in some bird species. Nevertheless, the cognitive underpinnings of this prosociality; i.e., whether animals take others' need for help into account, often remain obscured. In this study, we take a first step in investigating prosociality in azure-winged magpies by presenting them with the opportunity to share highly desired food with their conspecifics i) in a situation in which these conspecifics had no such food, ii) in a situation in which they too had access to that highly desired food, and iii) in an open, base-line, situation where all had equal access to the same food and could move around freely. We find that azure-winged magpies regularly share high-value food items, preferably with, but not restricted to, members of the opposite sex. Most notably, we find that these birds, and specifically the females, seem to differentiate between whether others have food or do not have food, and subsequently cater to that lack. Begging calls by those without food seem to function as cues that elicit the food-sharing, but the response to that begging is condition-dependent. Moreover, analyses on a restricted dataset that excluded those events in which there was begging showed exactly the same patterns, raising the possibility that the azure-winged magpies might truly notice when others have access to fewer resources (even in the absence of vocal cues). This sharing behavior could indicate a high level of social awareness and prosociality that should be further investigated. Further studies are needed to establish the order of intentionality at play in this system, and whether azure-winged magpies might be able to attribute desire states to their conspecifics.}, }
@article {pmid34909003, year = {2020}, author = {Höijer, I and Ilonen, T and Löyttyniemi, E and Salokangas, RKR}, title = {Onset Age of Substance Use and Neuropsychological Performance in Hospital Patients.}, journal = {Clinical neuropsychiatry}, volume = {17}, number = {5}, pages = {271-280}, pmid = {34909003}, issn = {2385-0787}, abstract = {OBJECTIVE: Several studies have found neurocognitive deficits in adolescents following substance abuse. Predisposing risk factors may further impact vulnerability to neurocognitive deficits. Little is known about the cognitive performance of adult onset substance users compared to earlier onset users. This study aims to explore differences in neuropsychological functioning between early (EOAs) and late onset substance abusers (LOAs) when the effects of confounding factors are controlled.<br><br>METHOD: Data for this cross-sectional study was collected from hospital patients. A total of 164 patients with substance use disorder (SUD) aged 19 to 65, 76 with single-drug diagnosis and 88 with multidrug diagnosis, underwent neuropsychological tests for verbal capacity, attention, speed of processing, perceptual reasoning, memory and learning, executive functioning, and inhibitory capacity. Associations between regular onset age and neuropsychological measures were analysed using in multi-way ANCOVA, and the effect of age, multiple substance abuse, education level and learning difficulties were controlled.<br><br>RESULTS: Compared with LOAs, EOAs had weaker performance in the Digit Symbol test for mono-substance users. Meanwhile, compared with EOAs, LOAs had weaker performance in the Delayed Visual Memory test and the Raven test for mono-substance users, and the Block Design test for poly-substance users. From the confounding factors, early onset age of substance use is heightened among individuals with learning disabilities.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Onset age of substance use is related to the deterioration of performance in neuropsychological tests. Premorbid poor learning and inhibitory capacity may be important predisposing risk factors of SUD. Conversely, high level of education may be a protective factor for cognitive performance in patients with SUD.}, }
@article {pmid32985206, year = {2020}, author = {Kumar, M and Murugkar, HV and Nagarajan, S and Tosh, C and Patil, S and Nagaraja, KH and Rajukumar, K and Senthilkumar, D and Dubey, SC}, title = {Experimental infection and pathology of two highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 viruses isolated from crow and chicken in house crows (Corvus splendens).}, journal = {Acta virologica}, volume = {64}, number = {3}, pages = {325-330}, doi = {10.4149/av_2020_306}, pmid = {32985206}, issn = {0001-723X}, mesh = {Animals ; Chickens ; Crows ; Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype/*pathogenicity ; Influenza in Birds/pathology/*virology ; }, abstract = {We investigated the experimental infection of two highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 viruses isolated from crow (A/crow/Assam/142119/2008) and chicken (A/chicken/Sikkim/151466/2009) in house crows (Corvus splendens). Both viruses caused infection in crows, where four out of six and three out of six crows succumbed to H5N1 infection within 11 days post challenge by crow and chicken viruses, respectively. The major clinical signs in crows were wing paralysis, circling and torticollis. The virus shedding detected from swabs was not persistent in both crow nor chicken viruses. Both viruses were isolated more frequently from oral swabs than from cloacal swabs. Both virus strains were isolated from brain, lungs, heart, liver, pancreas, spleen, large intestines of crows that succumbed to H5N1 infection. The surviving birds seroconverted in response to H5N1 virus infection. Microscopically, both viruses caused coagulative necrosis in pancreas and kidneys. Brain showed gliosis and neuronal degeneration. This experimental study highlights that crows could be infected with H5N1 viruses from different hosts with minor differences in pathogenicity. Therefore, it is imperative to carry out surveillance of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus in synanthropic birds along with biosecurity measures to mitigate the H5N1 spread in poultry population. Keywords: chicken virus; crow virus; highly pathogenic avian influenza; house crows.}, }
@article {pmid32981911, year = {2021}, author = {Goguta, L and Lungeanu, D and Negru, R and Birdeanu, M and Jivanescu, A and Sinescu, C}, title = {Selective Laser Sintering versus Selective Laser Melting and Computer Aided Design - Computer Aided Manufacturing in Double Crowns Retention.}, journal = {Journal of prosthodontic research}, volume = {65}, number = {3}, pages = {371-378}, doi = {10.2186/jpr.JPOR_2019_556}, pmid = {32981911}, issn = {2212-4632}, mesh = {*Computer-Aided Design ; Crowns ; *Dental Prosthesis Design ; Lasers ; Materials Testing ; Zirconium ; }, abstract = {Purpose This in vitro study aimed at ascertaining the retention forces for telescopic crowns fabricated with Selective Laser Manufacturing (SLM) and Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) additive technologies, and Computer Aided Design - Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAD-CAM) subtractive technology, by using suitable materials for each.Materials and Methods Full-factorial design was employed for experimental testing, considering the following three factors: (a) inner crown material ‒ technology (zirconia ‒ CAD-CAM; metal-alloy ‒ SLS; metal-alloy ‒ SLM); (b) tooth type (canine or molar); (c) wet vs. dry conditions (i.e. either with or without artificial saliva). The roughness of the inner crowns was analyzed through atomic force microscopy. Three-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied for statistical analysis, followed by Tukey's post-hoc comparisons between the crown types.Results The retention force mean values were between 3.8 N (dry, SLM) and 14.8 N (artificial saliva, SLS), with statistically significant (p<0.001) differences between the three types of inner crowns and interaction with the tooth type. No significant interaction was found between crown or tooth types and the wet vs. dry testing conditions. The zirconia crowns' retention force was significantly (p<0.001) higher compared to similar SLM crowns, with 95% CI (3.62; 5.55) N for the differences. Zirconia was significantly (p<0.001) less retentive compared to similar SLS crowns, with 95% CI (-5.99; -4.06) N for the differences. The roughness decrease and subsequent loss of retention force was the largest in zirconia.Conclusions The SLS inner crowns showed the best retention, followed by zirconia and SLM inner crows.}, }
@article {pmid32974390, year = {2020}, author = {Martínez-de la Puente, J and Soriguer, R and Senar, JC and Figuerola, J and Bueno-Mari, R and Montalvo, T}, title = {Mosquitoes in an Urban Zoo: Identification of Blood Meals, Flight Distances of Engorged Females, and Avian Malaria Infections.}, journal = {Frontiers in veterinary science}, volume = {7}, number = {}, pages = {460}, pmid = {32974390}, issn = {2297-1769}, abstract = {Zoological gardens are home to a large number of vertebrate species and as such are suitable sites for both mosquito breeding and maintenance. They are excellent places for entomological studies of mosquito phenology, diversity, and blood-feeding patterns, as well as for xenomonitoring. During 2016, we sampled mosquitoes in Barcelona Zoo and used molecular methods to determine their blood-feeding patterns and the prevalence and diversity of avian malaria parasites. We also estimated the flight distance of engorged mosquitoes in the area. Overall, 1,384 adult Culex pipiens s.l., Culiseta longiareolata, and Aedes albopictus were captured. Birds dominated the diet of Cx. pipiens s.l. (n = 87) and Cs. longiareolata (n = 6), while humans were the only blood-meal source of Ae. albopictus (n = 3). Mosquitoes had a mean flight distance of 95.67 m after feeding on blood (range 38.71-168.51 m). Blood parasites were detected in the abdomen of 13 engorged Cx. pipiens s.l., eight of which had fed on magpies. Four Plasmodium lineages and a single lineage of the malaria-like parasite Haemoproteus were identified. These results suggest that Cx. pipiens s.l. is involved in the local transmission of avian Plasmodium, which potentially affects the circulation of parasites between and within wildlife and enclosed animals. Vigilance regarding possible mosquito breeding sites in this zoo is thus recommended.}, }
@article {pmid32973028, year = {2020}, author = {Nieder, A and Wagener, L and Rinnert, P}, title = {A neural correlate of sensory consciousness in a corvid bird.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {369}, number = {6511}, pages = {1626-1629}, doi = {10.1126/science.abb1447}, pmid = {32973028}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Animals ; *Consciousness ; Crows/*physiology ; Neurons/physiology ; Psychomotor Performance/*physiology ; Telencephalon/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Subjective experiences that can be consciously accessed and reported are associated with the cerebral cortex. Whether sensory consciousness can also arise from differently organized brains that lack a layered cerebral cortex, such as the bird brain, remains unknown. We show that single-neuron responses in the pallial endbrain of crows performing a visual detection task correlate with the birds' perception about stimulus presence or absence and argue that this is an empirical marker of avian consciousness. Neuronal activity follows a temporal two-stage process in which the first activity component mainly reflects physical stimulus intensity, whereas the later component predicts the crows' perceptual reports. These results suggest that the neural foundations that allow sensory consciousness arose either before the emergence of mammals or independently in at least the avian lineage and do not necessarily require a cerebral cortex.}, }
@article {pmid32970843, year = {2021}, author = {Sutton, AO and Strickland, D and Freeman, NE and Norris, DR}, title = {Environmental conditions modulate compensatory effects of site dependence in a food-caching passerine.}, journal = {Ecology}, volume = {102}, number = {1}, pages = {e03203}, doi = {10.1002/ecy.3203}, pmid = {32970843}, issn = {1939-9170}, mesh = {Animals ; *Ecosystem ; Ontario ; Population Density ; Population Dynamics ; *Songbirds ; }, abstract = {Although density regulates the abundance of most wild animal populations by influencing vital rates, such as fecundity and survival, the mechanisms responsible for generating negative density dependence are unclear for many species. Site dependence occurs when there is preferential filling of high-quality territories, which results in higher per capita vital rates at low densities because a larger proportion of occupied territories are of high quality. Using 41 yr of territory occupancy and demographic data, we investigated whether site dependence was a mechanism acting to influence fecundity and, by extension, regulate a population of Canada Jays in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. As predicted by site dependence, the proportion of occupied territories that were of high quality was negatively correlated with population density and periods of vacancy were shorter for high-quality territories than for low-quality territories. We also found evidence that per capita fecundity was positively related to the proportion of occupied territories that were of high quality, but only when environmental conditions, which influence the entire population, were otherwise poor for breeding. Our results suggest that site dependence likely plays a role in regulating this population but that environmental conditions can modulate the strength of density dependence.}, }
@article {pmid32970296, year = {2020}, author = {Naggar, RFE and Rohaim, MA and Munir, M}, title = {Potential reverse spillover of infectious bursal disease virus at the interface of commercial poultry and wild birds.}, journal = {Virus genes}, volume = {56}, number = {6}, pages = {705-711}, pmid = {32970296}, issn = {1572-994X}, support = {332228521//British Council/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Animals, Wild/*virology ; *Bird Diseases/epidemiology/virology ; Birds/*virology ; *Birnaviridae Infections/epidemiology/virology ; Egypt ; Infectious bursal disease virus/*isolation &amp; purification ; Poultry/virology ; Poultry Diseases/virology ; }, abstract = {Recently, multiple spillover events between domesticated poultry and wild birds have been reported for several avian viruses. This phenomenon highlights the importance of the livestock-wildlife interface in the possible emergence of novel viruses. The aim of the current study was to investigate the potential spillover and epidemiological links of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) between wild birds and domestic poultry. To this end, twenty-eight cloacal swabs were collected from four species of free-living Egyptian wild birds (i.e. mallard duck, bean goose, white-fronted goose and black-billed magpie). Genetic and phylogenetic analysis of three positive isolates revealed that the IBDV/USC-1/2019 strain clustered with previously reported very virulent IBDV (vvIBDV) Egyptian isolates. Interestingly, two other wild bird-origin isolates (i.e. IBDV/USC-2/2019 and IBDV/USC-3/2019) grouped with a vaccine strain that is being used in commercial poultry. In conclusion, our results revealed the molecular detection of vaccine and vvIBDV-like strains in Egyptian wild birds and highlighted the potential role of wild birds in IBDV epidemiology in disease-endemic regions.}, }
@article {pmid32968948, year = {2021}, author = {Hunt, GR}, title = {New Caledonian crows' basic tool procurement is guided by heuristics, not matching or tracking probe site characteristics.}, journal = {Animal cognition}, volume = {24}, number = {1}, pages = {177-191}, pmid = {32968948}, issn = {1435-9456}, support = {UOA1208//Marsden Fund/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Comprehension ; *Crows ; Heuristics ; *Tool Use Behavior ; }, abstract = {Contrasting findings made it unclear what cognitive processes New Caledonian crows use to procure suitable tools to solve tool tasks. Most previous studies suggested that their tool procurement is achieved by either trial and error or a simple heuristic. The latter provides a fast and cognitively efficient method for stable, routinized behaviour based on past experience with little or no deliberate decision-making. However, early papers by Chappell and Kacelnik reported that two New Caledonian crows procured tools after closely assessing the tool characteristics required for the task, thus using deliberate decision-making, or a 'customized strategy'. Here, I tested eight New Caledonian crows to determine their default behaviour in basic tool procurement tasks as a check on whether or not they use customized strategies. I used two rigorous experiments closely based on Chappell and Kacelnik's experiments. The crows did not use a customized strategy in either experiment, but their behaviour was clearly consistent with tool procurement predominantly guided by a familiarity heuristic. I discuss potential methodological issues that may have led to different conclusions in Chappell and Kacelnik's studies. Heuristic-guided, routinized behaviour in tool procurement has potential implications for understanding how standardization occurs in the early evolution of complex tool manufacture, both in New Caledonian crows and early humans.}, }
@article {pmid32967900, year = {2020}, author = {Bakkour, S and Deng, X and Bacchetti, P and Grebe, E and Montalvo, L and Worlock, A and Stone, M and Deeks, SG and Richman, DD and Busch, MP}, title = {Replicate Aptima Assay for Quantifying Residual Plasma Viremia in Individuals on Antiretroviral Therapy.}, journal = {Journal of clinical microbiology}, volume = {58}, number = {12}, pages = {}, pmid = {32967900}, issn = {1098-660X}, support = {P30 AI027763/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; UM1 AI126619/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; UM1 AI126620/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active ; *HIV Infections/diagnosis/drug therapy ; *HIV-1/genetics ; Humans ; RNA, Viral ; Viral Load ; Viremia/diagnosis/drug therapy ; Virus Latency ; }, abstract = {Detection of residual plasma viremia in antiretroviral therapy (ART)-suppressed HIV-infected individuals is critical for characterizing the latent reservoir and evaluating the impact of cure interventions. Ultracentrifugation-based single-copy assays are sensitive but labor intensive. Fully automated replicate testing using a standard clinical viral load assay was evaluated as a high-throughput alternative for the quantification of low-level viremia. Four plasma samples from blood donors with acute HIV-1 infection and one viral culture supernatant were serially diluted into 25-ml samples to nominal viral loads ranging from 39 to <0.5 copies (cp)/ml. Each dilution was tested with 45 replicates (reps) using 0.5 ml/rep with the Aptima HIV-1 Quant assay. The nominal and estimated viral loads based on the single-hit Poisson model were compared, and a hybrid Poisson digital model for calibrated viral load estimation was derived. Testing performed using 45 reps on longitudinal plasma samples from 50 ART-suppressed individuals in the Reservoir Assay Validation and Evaluation Network (RAVEN) study cohort (range of 1 to 19 years of continuous ART suppression) showed a median viral load of 0.54 cp/ml (interquartile range [IQR], 0.22 to 1.46 cp/ml) and a 14% (95% confidence interval [CI], 9% to 19%) decline in viral load for each additional year in duration suppressed. Within the RAVEN cohort, the expected false-negative rate for detection at lower rep numbers using 9 and 18 reps was 26% and 14%, respectively. Residual plasma viremia levels positively correlated with cell-associated HIV RNA and DNA. The performance characteristics of the replicate Aptima assay support its use for quantifying residual plasma viremia to study the latent HIV reservoir and cure interventions.}, }
@article {pmid32945185, year = {2020}, author = {DeLecce, T and Fink, B and Shackelford, T and Abed, MG}, title = {No Evidence for a Relationship between Intelligence and Ejaculate Quality.}, journal = {Evolutionary psychology : an international journal of evolutionary approaches to psychology and behavior}, volume = {18}, number = {3}, pages = {1474704920960450}, doi = {10.1177/1474704920960450}, pmid = {32945185}, issn = {1474-7049}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Intelligence/*physiology ; Male ; Phenotype ; *Semen Analysis ; Young Adult ; }, abstract = {Genetic quality may be expressed through many traits simultaneously, and this would suggest a phenotype-wide fitness factor. In humans, intelligence has been positively associated with several potential indicators of genetic quality, including ejaculate quality. We conducted a conceptual replication of one such study by investigating the relationship between intelligence (assessed by the Raven Advanced Progressive Matrices Test-Short Form) and ejaculate quality (indexed by sperm count, sperm concentration, and sperm motility) in a sample of 41 men (ages ranging 18 to 33 years; M = 23.33; SD = 3.60). By self-report, participants had not had a vasectomy, and had never sought infertility treatment. We controlled for several covariates known to affect ejaculate quality (e.g., abstinence duration before providing an ejaculate) and found no statistically significant relationship between intelligence and ejaculate quality; our findings, therefore, do not match those of Arden, Gottfredson, Miller et al. or those of previous studies. We discuss limitations of this study and the general research area and highlight the need for future research in this area, especially the need for larger data sets to address questions around phenotypic quality and ejaculate quality.}, }
@article {pmid32934284, year = {2020}, author = {Sultana, N and Hossain, SMZ and Mohammed, ME and Irfan, MF and Haq, B and Faruque, MO and Razzak, SA and Hossain, MM}, title = {Experimental study and parameters optimization of microalgae based heavy metals removal process using a hybrid response surface methodology-crow search algorithm.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {10}, number = {1}, pages = {15068}, pmid = {32934284}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {*Algorithms ; *Biomass ; Chlorella/*chemistry ; Metals, Heavy/*chemistry ; Microalgae/*chemistry ; *Models, Chemical ; Waste Water/*chemistry ; *Water Purification ; }, abstract = {This study investigates the use of microalgae as a biosorbent to eliminate heavy metals ions from wastewater. The Chlorella kessleri microalgae species was employed to biosorb heavy metals from synthetic wastewater specimens. FTIR, and SEM/XRD analyses were utilized to characterize the microalgal biomass (the adsorbent). The experiments were conducted with several process parameters, including initial solution pH, temperature, and microalgae biomass dose. In order to secure the best experimental conditions, the optimum parameters were estimated using an integrated response surface methodology (RSM), desirability function (DF), and crow search algorithm (CSA) modeling approach. A maximum lead(II) removal efficiency of 99.54% was identified by the RSM-DF platform with the following optimal set of parameters: pH of 6.34, temperature of 27.71 °C, and biomass dosage of 1.5 g L-1. The hybrid RSM-CSA approach provided a globally optimal solution that was similar to the results obtained by the RSM-DF approach. The consistency of the model-predicted optimum conditions was confirmed by conducting experiments under those conditions. It was found that the experimental removal efficiency (97.1%) under optimum conditions was very close (less than a 5% error) to the model-predicted value. The lead(II) biosorption process was better demonstrated by the pseudo-second order kinetic model. Finally, simultaneous removal of metals from wastewater samples containing a mixture of multiple heavy metals was investigated. The removal efficiency of each heavy metal was found to be in the following order: Pb(II) > Co(II) > Cu(II) > Cd(II) > Cr(II).}, }
@article {pmid32929312, year = {2020}, author = {Gharekhani, J and Yakhchali, M and Berahmat, R}, title = {Neospora caninum infection in Iran (2004-2020): A review.}, journal = {Journal of parasitic diseases : official organ of the Indian Society for Parasitology}, volume = {44}, number = {4}, pages = {671-686}, doi = {10.1007/s12639-020-01266-w}, pmid = {32929312}, issn = {0971-7196}, abstract = {Knowledge on neosporosis and associated risk factors in different species of animals are so important for designing the control programs and reduce the economic losses globally. This literature review targeted for evaluating the infection rate of Neospora caninum in animals in Iran. Until April 2020, all of published documents in the main English and Persian-language databases were searched. A total number of 110 documents (English = 85 and Persian = 25) were extracted. Most of reports were sero-epidemiological studies using ELISA in Iranian cattle population. The range of Neospora infection was 3.8-76.2% in cattle, 0-54.6% in dogs, 0.9-9.9% in sheep, 6.2% in goats, 19.2-55.9% in buffaloes, 20-42.2% in horses, 52% in donkeys, 3.2-27% in camels, 14% and 19% in cats, and 0-20.4% in rodents. This rate in birds was 17.3% in chicken, 9.8% and 30.4% in pigeons, 2.8% and 3.7% in sparrows, and 9.9% in hooded crows. This is a comprehensive literature review on Neospora infection in Iran at the first time. The infection of N. caninum is widespread in Iran especially in dogs and cattle population. This review can provide baseline information for future research. Study on other hosts especially on wild and exotic animals is recommended for exact estimate of neosporosis in Iran. Investigations into molecular diagnosis and genotyping of N. caninum strains are also needed; this will be helpful for developing vaccines and finding the connection among wild and domestic cycles of disease. Education on the risk factors associated with N. caninum infection for is suggested farmers and rural public.}, }
@article {pmid32928096, year = {2020}, author = {Dai, X and Li, X and Huang, Y and Liu, X}, title = {The speciation and adaptation of the polyploids: a case study of the Chinese Isoetes L. diploid-polyploid complex.}, journal = {BMC evolutionary biology}, volume = {20}, number = {1}, pages = {118}, pmid = {32928096}, issn = {1471-2148}, support = {30870168 &amp; 31170203//National Natural Science Foundation of China/International ; }, mesh = {*Adaptation, Biological ; China ; *Diploidy ; Ecosystem ; *Genetic Speciation ; Phylogeny ; *Polyploidy ; Tracheophyta/*classification ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: The Chinese Isoetes L. are distributed in a stairway pattern: diploids in the high altitude and polyploids in the low altitude. The allopolyploid I. sinensis and its diploid parents I. yunguiensis and I. taiwanensis is an ideal system with which to investigate the relationships between polyploid speciation and the ecological niches preferences.<br><br>RESULTS: There were two major clades in the nuclear phylogenetic tree, all of the populations of polyploid were simultaneously located in both clades. The chloroplast phylogenetic tree included two clades with different populations of the polyploid clustered with the diploids separately: I. yunguiensis with partial populations of the I. sinensis and I. taiwanensis with the rest populations of the I. sinensis. The crow node of the I. sinensis allopolyploid system was 4.43 Ma (95% HPD: 2.77-6.97 Ma). The divergence time between I. sinensis and I. taiwanensis was estimated to 0.65 Ma (95% HPD: 0.26-1.91 Ma). The narrower niche breadth in I.sinensis than those of its diploid progenitors and less niche overlap in the pairwise comparisons between the polyploid and its progenitors.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our results elucidate that I. yunguinensis and I. taiwanensis contribute to the speciation of I. sinensis, the diploid parents are the female parents of different populations. The change of altitude might have played an important role in allopolyploid speciation and the pattern of distribution of I. sinensis. Additionally, niche novelty of the allopolyploid population of I. sinensis has been detected, in accordance with the hypothesis that niche shift between the polyploids and its diploid progenitors is important for the establishment and persistence of the polyploids.}, }
@article {pmid32906797, year = {2020}, author = {Blazkova, B and Pastorkova, A and Solansky, I and Veleminsky, M and Veleminsky, M and Urbancova, K and Vondraskova, V and Hajslova, J and Pulkrabova, J and Sram, RJ}, title = {Effect of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Exposure on Cognitive Development in 5 Years Old Children.}, journal = {Brain sciences}, volume = {10}, number = {9}, pages = {}, pmid = {32906797}, issn = {2076-3425}, abstract = {Objectives: To analyze the impact of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in ambient air at the time of delivery and five years of age on cognitive development in five year old children. Materials and Methods: Two cohorts of children born in the years 2013 and 2014 from Karvina (Northern Moravia, n = 70) and Ceske Budejovice (Southern Bohemia, n = 99) were studied at the age of five years for their cognitive development related to the exposure to PAHs, determined in the ambient air as the concentration of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and OH-PAH (hydroxy-PAH) metabolites in urine of the newborns at the time of delivery. As psychological tests, the Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test (BG test) and the Raven Colored Progressive Matrices (RCPM test) were used. Results: Concentrations of B[a]P in the third trimester of mother's pregnancies were 6.1 ± 4.53 ng/m3 in Karvina, and 1.19 ± 1.28 ng/m3 (p < 0.001) in Ceske Budejovice. Neither the outcome of the RCPM test nor the BG test differed between children in Karvina vs. Ceske Budejovice, or boys vs. girls. Cognitive development in five year old children was affected by the higher exposure to PM2.5 during the third trimester in girls in Karvina. Conclusions: We did not observe any significant effect of prenatal PAH exposure on psychological cognitive tests in five year old children.}, }
@article {pmid32903767, year = {2020}, author = {Dolean, D and Cãlugãr, A}, title = {How Reliably Can We Measure a Child's True IQ? Socio-Economic Status Can Explain Most of the Inter-Ethnic Differences in General Non-verbal Abilities.}, journal = {Frontiers in psychology}, volume = {11}, number = {}, pages = {2000}, pmid = {32903767}, issn = {1664-1078}, abstract = {Roma children have been discriminated against for many years as they are denied access to high-quality education based on their scores on general non-verbal IQ tests. Rushton et al. (2007) showed that Roma perform more poorly than non-Roma on one such test (i.e., Raven Progressive Matrices), but suggest that this underperformance could be explained by Roma's low socio-economic status. In this paper, we tested the non-verbal abilities of Roma children and expanded on the research of Rushton et al. (2007) by investigating empirically the potential mediating effects of socio-economic status on children's performance on Raven Progressive Matrices. Results showed that the performance of Roma children was, on average, significantly lower than the performance of their non-Roma peers; however, the effect of ethnicity was partially mediated by the parents' education and living conditions (while the parents' income had no significant effect). As hypothesized by Rushton et al. (2007) some socio-economic factors can explain important variability in the performance of Roma children on general non-verbal tests, and their poor performance on such tests may lead to an underestimation of the true population mean.}, }
@article {pmid32893046, year = {2020}, author = {Hswen, Y and Qin, Q and Williams, DR and Viswanath, K and Brownstein, JS and Subramanian, SV}, title = {The relationship between Jim Crow laws and social capital from 1997-2014: A 3-level multilevel hierarchical analysis across time, county and state.}, journal = {Social science &amp; medicine (1982)}, volume = {262}, number = {}, pages = {113142}, doi = {10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113142}, pmid = {32893046}, issn = {1873-5347}, mesh = {African Americans ; Humans ; Income ; *Racism ; *Social Capital ; United States ; Whites ; }, abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Jim Crow laws in the United States promoted racial prejudice, which may have reduced social capital. Our study tests the relationship between Jim Crow laws and social capital.<br><br>METHODS: We conducted 3-level multilevel hierarchical modeling to study differences in the stock of social capital for 1997, 2005, 2009 in Jim Crow states compared to states without Jim Crow laws. We examined the moderation effects of county level median income, percent Black and percent with high school education and Jim Crow laws on social capital.<br><br>RESULTS: Jim Crow laws significantly reduced stock of social capital across 1997, 2005, 2009. The model was robust to the inclusion of random county, states, time and fixed county and state level covariates for median income, percent Black and percent with high school education. The largest percent of between state variations explained for fixed variables was from the addition of Jim Crow laws with 2.86%. These results demonstrate that although Jim Crow laws were abolished in 1965, the effects of racial segregation appear to persist through lower social connectiveness, community and trust. A positive moderation effect was seen for median income and percent Black with Jim Crow laws on social capital.<br><br>DISCUSSION: Our study supports a negative association between Jim Crow laws and reduction in the stock of social capital. This may be attributed to the fracturing of trust, reciprocity and collective action produced by legal racial segregation. Findings from this study offer insight on the potential impacts of historical policies on the social structure of a community. Future research is necessary to further identify the mechanistic pathways and develop interventions to improve social capital.}, }
@article {pmid32887370, year = {2020}, author = {Stalder, S and Marti, H and Borel, N and Sachse, K and Albini, S and Vogler, BR}, title = {Occurrence of Chlamydiaceae in Raptors and Crows in Switzerland.}, journal = {Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland)}, volume = {9}, number = {9}, pages = {}, pmid = {32887370}, issn = {2076-0817}, abstract = {Bacteria of the family Chlamydiaceae are globally disseminated and able to infect many bird species. So far, 11 species of Chlamydia have been detected in wild birds, and several studies found chlamydial strains classified as genetically intermediate between Chlamydia (C.) psittaci and C.abortus. Recently, a group of these intermediate strains was shown to form a separate species, i.e., C.buteonis. In the present study, 1128 samples from 341 raptors of 16 bird species and 253 corvids representing six species were examined using a stepwise diagnostic approach. Chlamydiaceae DNA was detected in 23.7% of the corvids and 5.9% of the raptors. In corvids, the most frequently detected Chlamydia species was C.psittaci of outer membrane protein A (ompA) genotype 1V, which is known to have a host preference for corvids. The most frequently detected ompA genotype in raptors was M56. Furthermore, one of the raptors harbored C.psittaci 1V, and two others carried genotype A. C.buteonis was not detected in the bird population investigated, so it remains unknown whether this species occurs in Switzerland. The infection rate of Chlamydiaceae in corvids was high compared to rates reported in other wild bird species, but neither Chlamydiaceae-positive corvids nor raptors showed overt signs of disease. Since the Chlamydiaceae of both, raptors and crows were identified as C.psittaci and all C.psittaci genotypes are considered to be zoonotic, it can be suggested that raptors and crows pose a potential hazard to the health of their handlers.}, }
@article {pmid32884644, year = {2020}, author = {Linnell, MA and Lesmeister, DB}, title = {Predator-prey interactions in the canopy.}, journal = {Ecology and evolution}, volume = {10}, number = {16}, pages = {8610-8622}, pmid = {32884644}, issn = {2045-7758}, abstract = {Small mammal abundances are frequently limited by resource availability, but predators can exert strong lethal (mortality) and nonlethal (e.g., nest abandonment) limitations. Artificially increasing resource availability for uncommon small mammals provides a unique opportunity to examine predator-prey interactions. We used remote cameras to monitor 168 nest platforms placed in the live tree canopy (n = 23 young forest stands), primarily for arboreal red tree voles (tree voles; Arborimus longicaudus), over 3 years (n = 15,510 monitoring-weeks). Tree voles frequently built nests and were detected 37% of monitoring-weeks, whereas flying squirrels (Glaucomys oregonensis) built nests infrequently but were detected 45% of monitoring-weeks. Most nest predators were detected infrequently (<1% of monitoring-weeks) and were positively correlated with tree vole presence. Weasels (Mustela spp.) were highly effective predators of tree voles (n = 8 mortalities; 10% of detections) compared to owls (n = 1), flying squirrels (n = 2), and Steller's jays (n = 1). Tree vole activity decreased from 84.1 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 56.2, 111.9) detections/week 1-week prior to a weasel detection to 4.7 detections/week (95% CI: 1.7, 7.8) 1-week postdetection and remained low for at least 12 weeks. Interpretations of predator-prey interactions were highly sensitive to how we binned continuously collected data and model results from our finest bin width were biologically counter-intuitive. Average annual survival of female tree voles was consistent with a previous study (0.14; 95% CI: -0.04 [0.01], 0.32) and high compared to many terrestrial voles. The relative infrequency of weasel detections and inefficiency of other predators did not provide strong support for the hypothesis that predation per se limited populations. Rather, predation pressure, by reducing occupancy of already scarce nest sites through mortality and nest abandonment, may contribute to long-term local instability of tree vole populations in young forests. Additional monitoring would be needed to assess this hypothesis.}, }
@article {pmid32882458, year = {2020}, author = {Connelly, F and Johnsson, RD and Aulsebrook, AE and Mulder, RA and Hall, ML and Vyssotski, AL and Lesku, JA}, title = {Urban noise restricts, fragments, and lightens sleep in Australian magpies.}, journal = {Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)}, volume = {267}, number = {}, pages = {115484}, doi = {10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115484}, pmid = {32882458}, issn = {1873-6424}, mesh = {Australia ; Noise/adverse effects ; *Sleep ; *Sleep, REM ; Wakefulness ; }, abstract = {Urban areas are inherently noisy, and this noise can disrupt biological processes as diverse as communication, migration, and reproduction. We investigated how exposure to urban noise affects sleep, a process critical to optimal biological functioning, in Australian magpies (Cracticus tibicen). Eight magpies experimentally exposed to noise in captivity for 24-h spent more time awake, and less time in non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) and REM sleep at night than under quiet conditions. Sleep was also fragmented, with more frequent interruptions by wakefulness, shorter sleep episode durations, and less intense non-REM sleep. REM sleep was particularly sensitive to urban noise. Following exposure to noise, magpies recovered lost sleep by engaging in more, and more intense, non-REM sleep. In contrast, REM sleep showed no rebound. This might indicate a long-term cost to REM sleep loss mediated by noise, or contest hypotheses regarding the functional value of this state. Overall, urban noise has extensive, disruptive impacts on sleep composition, architecture, and intensity in magpies. Future work should consider whether noise-induced sleep restriction and fragmentation have long-term consequences.}, }
@article {pmid32849984, year = {2020}, author = {Akubuilo, UC and Iloh, KK and Onu, JU and Ayuk, AC and Ubesie, AC and Ikefuna, AN}, title = {Academic performance and intelligence quotient of primary school children in Enugu.}, journal = {The Pan African medical journal}, volume = {36}, number = {}, pages = {129}, pmid = {32849984}, issn = {1937-8688}, mesh = {Academic Performance/*statistics &amp; numerical data ; Child ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; *Intelligence ; Intelligence Tests ; Male ; Nigeria ; Schools ; Social Class ; Students/psychology/*statistics &amp; numerical data ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; }, abstract = {INTRODUCTION: intellectual capacity measured as intelligence quotient (IQ) is one of the determinants of school performance of children. It influences academic achievement, future personal health, social well-being and therefore, is of public health significance. The objective of the study was to determine the intelligence quotient (IQ) and academic performance of primary school children in Enugu-East LGA.<br><br>METHODS: children who met the inclusion criteria were recruited from both public and private primary schools in the Local Government Area (LGA) using a proportionate multistage sampling technique. Academic performance was classified into high, average and low academic using past records of class assessment. Intelligence quotient was assessed using the Raven´s Standard Progressive Matrices (RSPM) and was grouped into optimal and suboptimal. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to obtain data such as-age, gender, socio-economic indices and family size of the study participants. Analysis was done with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (IBM-SPSS).<br><br>RESULTS: a total of 1,122 pupils aged 6 to 12 years were recruited. Optimal IQ and high academic performance were found in 54.0% and 58.8% of the study participants. Being from upper social class, in private school, and family size less than 4 were the significant determinants of high IQ and good academic performance (p<0.001).<br><br>CONCLUSION: low socio-economic status, large family size and public school attendance impact negatively on IQ and academic performance. Hence, measures to curb large family sizes (i.e.>4 children) and improve the socio-economic status of families are needed environmental measures to improve intelligence and academic performance.}, }
@article {pmid32849085, year = {2020}, author = {Nieder, A}, title = {Absolute Numerosity Discrimination as a Case Study in Comparative Vertebrate Intelligence.}, journal = {Frontiers in psychology}, volume = {11}, number = {}, pages = {1843}, pmid = {32849085}, issn = {1664-1078}, abstract = {The question of whether some non-human animal species are more intelligent than others is a reoccurring theme in comparative psychology. To convincingly address this question, exact comparability of behavioral methodology and data across species is required. The current article explores one of the rare cases in which three vertebrate species (humans, macaques, and crows) experienced identical experimental conditions during the investigation of a core cognitive capability - the abstract categorization of absolute numerical quantity. We found that not every vertebrate species studied in numerical cognition were able to flexibly discriminate absolute numerosity, which suggests qualitative differences in numerical intelligence are present between vertebrates. Additionally, systematic differences in numerosity judgment accuracy exist among those species that could master abstract and flexible judgments of absolute numerosity, thus arguing for quantitative differences between vertebrates. These results demonstrate that Macphail's Null Hypotheses - which suggests that all non-human vertebrates are qualitatively and quantitatively of equal intelligence - is untenable.}, }
@article {pmid32834058, year = {2020}, author = {Jiguet, F}, title = {The Fox and the Crow. A need to update pest control strategies.}, journal = {Biological conservation}, volume = {248}, number = {}, pages = {108693}, pmid = {32834058}, issn = {0006-3207}, abstract = {The recent discovery that cats and mustelids can be infected by SARS-CoV-2 may raise the question of monitoring domestic, feral and wild populations of such animals, as an adjunct to the elimination of COVID-19 in humans. Emergency solutions might consider large scale control of these animals in the wild. However, looking at science recently published on native vertebrate pest control reveals first that usual controls do not succeed in reducing animal numbers and associated damages, second that controlling can be counter-productive in increasing the infectious risks for humans and livestock. The examples of red fox and corvids are detailed in a European context, illustrating the urgent need for an ethical evaluation of ecological and economic costs and benefits of pest control strategies. A complete scientific evaluation process must be implemented and up-dated regularly, to be organized in four major steps, once the aim of the control strategy has been defined: (1) evaluating damages/risks caused by the animals, to be balanced with the ecosystem services they may provide, also in terms of economic costs; (2) unravelling spatial and temporal population dynamics of target animals to identify, if any, optimal control scenarios - which could be done within an adaptive management framework; (3) estimating the economic costs of implementing those optimal control scenarios, to be compared to the economic costs of damages/diseases; (4) finally evaluating how the control strategy reached its aims. A modern fable of the Fox and the Crow should deliver a timely moral for an ethical, ecological and economical appraisal of pest control strategies in Europe.}, }
@article {pmid32830532, year = {2021}, author = {Berrington, JE and McGuire, W and Embleton, ND}, title = {ELFIN, the United Kingdom preterm lactoferrin trial: interpretation and future questions 1.}, journal = {Biochemistry and cell biology = Biochimie et biologie cellulaire}, volume = {99}, number = {1}, pages = {1-6}, doi = {10.1139/bcb-2020-0073}, pmid = {32830532}, issn = {1208-6002}, mesh = {Administration, Oral ; Double-Blind Method ; Enterocolitis, Necrotizing/*prevention &amp; control ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Lactoferrin/administration &amp; dosage/*metabolism ; Sepsis/*prevention &amp; control ; United Kingdom ; }, abstract = {Results from previous studies have suggested that supplemental bovine lactoferrin (BLF) given to preterm infants (<32 weeks gestation) reduces late-onset sepsis (LOS) and necrotising enterocolitis (NEC). The Enteral Lactoferrin in Neonates (ELFIN) study, performed in the UK, aimed to further address this issue with a well powered double-blind placebo controlled trial of >2200 preterm infants. The results from ELFIN did not demonstrate a reduction in LOS or NEC, or several other clinically important measures. Of the 1093 infants, 316 (29%) in the intervention group developed late-onset sepsis versus 334 (31%) of 1089 in the control group, with an adjusted risk ratio of 0.95 (95% CI = 0.86-1.04; p = 0.233). Reasons for the differences in ELFIN trial results and other studies may include population differences, the routine use of antifungal prophylaxis in the UK, timing of administration of the lactoferrin in relation to disease onset, or specific properties of the lactoferrin used in the different trials. The UK National Institutes for Health Research funded "Mechanisms Affecting the Guts of Preterm Infants in Enteral feeding trials" (MAGPIE) study is further exploring the use of lactoferrin, and the results should be available soon.}, }
@article {pmid32830051, year = {2020}, author = {Birch, J and Schnell, AK and Clayton, NS}, title = {Dimensions of Animal Consciousness.}, journal = {Trends in cognitive sciences}, volume = {24}, number = {10}, pages = {789-801}, pmid = {32830051}, issn = {1879-307X}, support = {851145/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Consciousness ; }, abstract = {How does consciousness vary across the animal kingdom? Are some animals 'more conscious' than others? This article presents a multidimensional framework for understanding interspecies variation in states of consciousness. The framework distinguishes five key dimensions of variation: perceptual richness, evaluative richness, integration at a time, integration across time, and self-consciousness. For each dimension, existing experiments that bear on it are reviewed and future experiments are suggested. By assessing a given species against each dimension, we can construct a consciousness profile for that species. On this framework, there is no single scale along which species can be ranked as more or less conscious. Rather, each species has its own distinctive consciousness profile.}, }
@article {pmid32829327, year = {2021}, author = {Jokel, A and Armstrong, E and Gabis, L and Segal, O}, title = {Associations and Dissociations among Phonological Processing Skills, Language Skills and Nonverbal Cognition in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder.}, journal = {Folia phoniatrica et logopaedica : official organ of the International Association of Logopedics and Phoniatrics (IALP)}, volume = {73}, number = {3}, pages = {222-232}, doi = {10.1159/000505744}, pmid = {32829327}, issn = {1421-9972}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Adult ; *Autism Spectrum Disorder/complications ; Child ; Cognition ; Humans ; Language Development ; *Language Disorders ; Linguistics ; Phonetics ; Young Adult ; }, abstract = {AIMS: The purpose of this study was to examine the nature of phonological processing in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as it pertains to their nonverbal cognitive and linguistic abilities.<br><br>METHODS: Twenty-one participants between the ages of 9 and 21 years were administered a nonverbal cognitive assessment (Raven test), a language measure that requires receptive and expressive knowledge of semantics, syntax and morphology, as well as the integration across these language domains (CELF-4), and a measure of phonological processing (CTOPP).<br><br>RESULTS: Results show that performance on nonword repetition (NWR) that reflects an aspect of phonological memory was significantly low, whereas performance on phoneme reversal, phoneme elision, blending words and memory for digits was within the normal range. Hierarchical regressions with age, nonverbal intelligence (Raven test) and receptive language (CELF) as predictors showed that for NWR and phoneme elision the receptive part of the CELF was the main significant -predictor, after controlling for age. For phoneme reversal and memory for digits, however, the Raven score was the significant predictor, suggesting that cognitive nonverbal ability is the main factor explaining variability in these tasks.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: A deficit in phonological memory characterizes individuals in the autistic population. This deficit may influence language acquisition in this population consistent with other populations of children with language impairments. Other tasks of phonological awareness, however, might be preserved especially when they do not involve memory for long phonological sequences and when the cognitive abilities are within the norm.}, }
@article {pmid32812143, year = {2020}, author = {Feng, D and Laurel, F and Castille, D and McCormick, AKHG and Held, S}, title = {Reliability, construct validity, and measurement invariance of the PROMIS Physical Function 8b-Adult Short Form v2.0.}, journal = {Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation}, volume = {29}, number = {12}, pages = {3397-3406}, pmid = {32812143}, issn = {1573-2649}, support = {U01MD010619/MD/NIMHD NIH HHS/United States ; P20GM103474/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; U54GM104944/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; U01 MD010619/MD/NIMHD NIH HHS/United States ; P20 GM103474/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; U54 GM104944/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Physical Functional Performance ; Psychometrics/*methods ; Quality of Life/*psychology ; Reproducibility of Results ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Young Adult ; }, abstract = {PURPOSE: The National Institutes of Health established the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) to assess health across various chronic illnesses. The standardized PROMIS measures have been used to assess symptoms in studies that included Native American participants, although the psychometric properties of these measures have not been assessed among a solely Native American population. This study aimed to assess the reliability, construct validity, and measurement invariance of a widely used PROMIS Physical Function survey among Native Americans residing on or near the Apsáalooke (Crow) Reservation who were living with chronic illnesses.<br><br>METHODS: Participants aged 24 to 82 years and living with at least one chronic illness were recruited for a community-based participatory research project. Baseline data were used for the current study (N = 210). The 8-item PROMIS Physical Function 8b-Adult Short Form v2.0 was used to assess the function of upper and lower extremities, central core regions, and the ability to complete daily activities on a 5-point Likert scale.<br><br>RESULTS: Results indicated that the above PROMIS survey had high internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.95) and split-half (r = 0.92, p < 0.001) reliabilities. Confirmatory factor analyses supported construct validity among females of the above population and when the two sex groups were combined. Results also indicated that corresponding thresholds and factor loadings were invariant across male and female groups.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The above PROMIS measure had good psychometric properties in females and when the two sex groups were combined among Native American adults living on or near the Apsáalooke reservation with chronic illnesses. Thresholds and factor loadings appeared to be invariant by sex. Future studies with a larger sample size among males and more studies on the psychometric properties of other PROMIS measures among Native American populations are needed.}, }
@article {pmid32794280, year = {2021}, author = {Gewaily, MS and Abumandour, MMA}, title = {Gross morphological, histological and scanning electron specifications of the oropharyngeal cavity of the hooded crow (Corvus cornix pallescens).}, journal = {Anatomia, histologia, embryologia}, volume = {50}, number = {1}, pages = {72-83}, doi = {10.1111/ahe.12602}, pmid = {32794280}, issn = {1439-0264}, mesh = {Animals ; Crows/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Feeding Behavior ; Female ; Male ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning/*veterinary ; Oropharynx/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The present study was carried out on the oropharyngeal cavity of the hooded crow to investigate the gross and microscopic structures via gross anatomy, light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The gross anatomy clarified the elongated triangular shape of the oropharyngeal cavity with a non-protruding tongue with a bifid apex. The lingual body contained median groove rostrally and separated caudally from the root by a transverse papillary crest. The laryngeal mound located posterior to the lingual root, contained midline laryngeal cleft and bounded caudally by a transverse row of pharyngeal papillae. The palate contained choanal cleft rostrally and infundibular slit caudally in addition to five palatine ridges. By light microscopy, the dorsal lingual epithelium was highly keratinised stratified squamous with a lingual nail in the most rostral part of the apex. Then, the thickness of the keratin layer decreased caudally, while in the ventral surface, the lining epithelium became non-keratinised. The entoglossum supported the lingual body and root, but not extended to the apex. The lining epithelium of the palate was also keratinised stratified squamous and became none-keratinised at the oral side of the choanal cleft. There were numerous lobules of polystomatic salivary glands in the lingual root and the palate. SEM revealed the arrangement of different types of papillae covering both the floor and the roof of the oropharynx besides numerous openings of salivary glands in the lingual root, laryngeal mound and the palate. These findings reflect the functional relationship of the oropharyngeal cavity of the hooded crow during feeding.}, }
@article {pmid32788623, year = {2020}, author = {Latorre-Pérez, A and Villalba-Bermell, P and Pascual, J and Vilanova, C}, title = {Assembly methods for nanopore-based metagenomic sequencing: a comparative study.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {10}, number = {1}, pages = {13588}, pmid = {32788623}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Genome, Bacterial/genetics ; Genomics/methods ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing/methods ; Metagenome/*genetics ; Metagenomics/*methods ; Microbiota/genetics ; Nanopore Sequencing/*methods ; *Nanopores ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sequence Analysis, DNA/methods ; }, abstract = {Metagenomic sequencing has allowed for the recovery of previously unexplored microbial genomes. Whereas short-read sequencing platforms often result in highly fragmented metagenomes, nanopore-based sequencers could lead to more contiguous assemblies due to their potential to generate long reads. Nevertheless, there is a lack of updated and systematic studies evaluating the performance of different assembly tools on nanopore data. In this study, we have benchmarked the ability of different assemblers to reconstruct two different commercially-available mock communities that have been sequenced using Oxford Nanopore Technologies platforms. Among the tested tools, only metaFlye, Raven, and Canu performed well in all the datasets. These tools retrieved highly contiguous genomes (or even complete genomes) directly from the metagenomic data. Despite the intrinsic high error of nanopore sequencing, final assemblies reached high accuracy (~ 99.5 to 99.8% of consensus accuracy). Polishing strategies demonstrated to be necessary for reducing the number of indels, and this had an impact on the prediction of biosynthetic gene clusters. Correction with high quality short reads did not always result in higher quality draft assemblies. Overall, nanopore metagenomic sequencing data-adapted to MinION's current output-proved sufficient for assembling and characterizing low-complexity microbial communities.}, }
@article {pmid32774110, year = {2020}, author = {Cocca, W and Andreone, F and Belluardo, F and Rosa, GM and Randrianirina, JE and Glaw, F and Crottini, A}, title = {Resolving a taxonomic and nomenclatural puzzle in mantellid frogs: synonymization of Gephyromantis azzurrae with G. corvus, and description of Gephyromantis kintana sp. nov. from the Isalo Massif, western Madagascar.}, journal = {ZooKeys}, volume = {951}, number = {}, pages = {133-157}, pmid = {32774110}, issn = {1313-2989}, abstract = {The genus Gephyromantis belongs to the species-rich family Mantellidae and is currently divided in six subgenera. Among these is the subgenus Phylacomantis, which currently includes four described species: Gephyromantis pseudoasper, G. corvus, G. azzurrae, and G. atsingy. The latter three species are distributed in western Madagascar, and two of them (G. azzurrae and G. corvus) occur in the Isalo Massif. Based on the analysis of molecular data (a fragment of the 16S rRNA gene), morphological inspection of museum specimens, and photographic comparisons, G. azzurrae is synonymised with G. corvus and the second Phylacomantis lineage of Isalo is described as G. kintana sp. nov. This medium-sized frog species (adult snout-vent length 35-44 mm) is assigned to this subgenus according to genetic and morphological similarities to the other known species of Phylacomantis. Gephyromantis kintana sp. nov. is known only from the Isalo Massif, while new records for G. corvus extend its range to ca. 200 km off its currently known distribution. These two taxa seem to occur in syntopy in at least one locality in Isalo, and the easiest way to distinguish them is the inspection of the ventral colouration, dark in G. corvus and dirty white in G. kintana.}, }
@article {pmid32772986, year = {2020}, author = {Taylor, AH and Jelbert, S}, title = {The crow in the room: New Caledonian crows offer insight into the necessary and sufficient conditions for cumulative cultural evolution.}, journal = {The Behavioral and brain sciences}, volume = {43}, number = {}, pages = {e178}, doi = {10.1017/S0140525X20000102}, pmid = {32772986}, issn = {1469-1825}, mesh = {Animals ; *Crows ; *Cultural Evolution ; Humans ; Technology ; *Tool Use Behavior ; }, abstract = {New Caledonian (NC) crow populations have developed complex tools that show suggestive evidence of cumulative change. These tool designs, therefore, appear to be the product of cumulative technological culture (CTC). We suggest that tool-using NC crows offer highly useful data for current debates over the necessary and sufficient conditions for the emergence of CTC.}, }
@article {pmid32772983, year = {2020}, author = {Rutz, C and Hunt, GR}, title = {New Caledonian crows afford invaluable comparative insights into human cumulative technological culture.}, journal = {The Behavioral and brain sciences}, volume = {43}, number = {}, pages = {e177}, doi = {10.1017/S0140525X20000187}, pmid = {32772983}, issn = {1469-1825}, mesh = {Animals ; *Crows ; Humans ; Problem Solving ; Technology ; *Tool Use Behavior ; }, abstract = {The New Caledonian crow may be the only non-primate species exhibiting cumulative technological culture. Its foraging tools show clear signs of diversification and progressive refinement, and it seems likely that at least some tool-related information is passed across generations via social learning. Here, we explain how these remarkable birds can help us uncover the basic biological processes driving technological progress.}, }
@article {pmid32764453, year = {2020}, author = {Zhao, W and Li, H and Zhu, X and Ge, T}, title = {Effect of Birdsong Soundscape on Perceived Restorativeness in an Urban Park.}, journal = {International journal of environmental research and public health}, volume = {17}, number = {16}, pages = {}, pmid = {32764453}, issn = {1660-4601}, mesh = {Animals ; *Birds ; China ; Cities ; Female ; Humans ; Islands ; Male ; Mental Healing ; *Parks, Recreational ; Perception ; Sound ; *Stress, Psychological ; *Vocalization, Animal ; }, abstract = {Natural soundscapes have beneficial effects on the perceived restorativeness of an environment. This study examines the effect of birdsong, a common natural soundscape, on perceived restorativeness in Harbin Sun Island Park in China. Eight sites were selected and a series of questionnaire surveys on perceived restorativeness soundscape scale (PRSS) of four birdsong types were conducted during summer and winter. Two-hundred and forty respondents participated in this survey. Analysis of the survey results shows that different types of birdsong have different perceived restorativeness effects in different seasons. Crow birdsong has the worst effect on the perceived restorativeness in both summer and winter. Moreover, sound comfort and preference are significantly associated with the perceived restorativeness. The perceived restorativeness soundscape is best when birdsong is at a height of 4 m rather than 0.5 m or 2 m. The demographic/social factors of age, education, and stress level are all correlated with perceived restorativeness. There are suggestions for urban park design, especially with constructed natural elements. Creating a suitable habitat for multiple species of birds will improve perceived restorativeness. Moreover, appropriate activities should be provided in city parks to ensure restorativeness environments, especially for subjects with high levels of education and stress.}, }
@article {pmid32743124, year = {2020}, author = {Wang, Y}, title = {Predict new cases of the coronavirus 19; in Michigan, U.S.A. or other countries using Crow-AMSAA method.}, journal = {Infectious Disease Modelling}, volume = {5}, number = {}, pages = {459-477}, pmid = {32743124}, issn = {2468-0427}, abstract = {Statistical predictions are useful to predict events based on statistical models. The data is useful to determine outcomes based on inputs and calculations. The Crow-AMSAA method will be explored to predict new cases of Coronavirus 19 (COVID19). This method is currently used within engineering reliability design to predict failures and evaluate the reliability growth. The author intents to use this model to predict the COVID19 cases by using daily reported data from Michigan, New York City, U.S.A and other countries. The piece wise Crow-AMSAA (CA) model fits the data very well for the infected cases and deaths at different phases during the start of the COVID19 outbreak. The slope β of the Crow-AMSAA line indicates the speed of the transmission or death rate. The traditional epidemiological model is based on the exponential distribution, but the Crow-AMSAA is the Non Homogeneous Poisson Process (NHPP) which can be used to modeling the complex problem like COVID19, especially when the various mitigation strategies such as social distance, isolation and locking down were implemented by the government at different places.}, }
@article {pmid32742677, year = {2020}, author = {Frank, SC and Blaalid, R and Mayer, M and Zedrosser, A and Steyaert, SMJG}, title = {Fear the reaper: ungulate carcasses may generate an ephemeral landscape of fear for rodents.}, journal = {Royal Society open science}, volume = {7}, number = {6}, pages = {191644}, pmid = {32742677}, issn = {2054-5703}, abstract = {Animal carcasses provide an ephemeral pulse of nutrients for scavengers that use them. Carcass sites can increase species interactions and/or ephemeral, localized landscapes of fear for prey within the vicinity. Few studies have applied the landscape of fear to carcasses. Here, we use a mass die-off of reindeer caused by lightning in Norway to test whether rodents avoided larger scavengers (e.g. corvids and fox). We used the presence and abundance of faeces as a proxy for carcass use over the course of 2 years and found that rodents showed the strongest avoidance towards changes in raven abundance (β = -0.469, s.e. = 0.231, p-value = 0.0429), but not fox, presumably due to greater predation risk imposed by large droves of raven. Moreover, the emergence of rodent occurrence within the carcass area corresponded well with the disappearance of raven during the second year of the study. We suggest that carcasses have the potential to shape the landscape of fear for prey, but that the overall effects of carcasses on individual fitness and populations of species ultimately depend on the carcass regime, e.g. carcass size, count, and areal extent, frequency and the scavenger guild. We discuss conservation implications and how carcass provisioning and landscapes of fear could be potentially used to manage populations and ecosystems, but that there is a gap in understanding that must first be bridged.}, }
@article {pmid32728993, year = {2021}, author = {Wang, JV and Saedi, N and Zachary, CB}, title = {Hyperhidrosis and Aesthetics.}, journal = {Handbook of experimental pharmacology}, volume = {263}, number = {}, pages = {161-170}, pmid = {32728993}, issn = {0171-2004}, mesh = {*Botulinum Toxins, Type A ; *Cosmetic Techniques ; *Depressive Disorder, Major ; Esthetics ; Humans ; *Hyperhidrosis/drug therapy ; *Skin Aging ; }, abstract = {When one considers the avalanche of new indications and uses for botulinum toxins, it is truly surprising that this has all happened in such a short time. And the safety and dependability of these products are profound, when used appropriately. There is still much to be discovered about the potential of this agent when you contemplate the profound non-cosmetic benefits reported by clinicians and scientists from around the world. The mechanism of action has been studied in depth, and yet the benefits appreciated by people with chronic migraine or major depressive disorder, for instance, are unlikely to be explained by our current mechanistic understanding. Given that these toxins control acetylcholine at the motor end plates, and given that acetylcholine is central to practically every cell in the body, it will not be surprising to find that botulinum toxin researchers will be enjoying many decades of fruitful studies. The advent of the non-surgical aesthetic physician has helped push the clinical utilization of botulinum toxins well beyond its original adoption by oculoplastic surgeons in their patients with blepharospasm. We can expect that the next edition of this book to have a dozen or more new indications which will surprise us all.}, }
@article {pmid32726365, year = {2020}, author = {Engel, N and Végvári, Z and Rice, R and Kubelka, V and Székely, T}, title = {Incubating parents serve as visual cues to predators in Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus).}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {15}, number = {7}, pages = {e0236489}, pmid = {32726365}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Birds/*physiology ; Ecosystem ; Female ; Nesting Behavior/*physiology ; Ovum/physiology ; Population Density ; Predatory Behavior/physiology ; Reproduction/*physiology ; Resin Cements/chemistry ; }, abstract = {Ground-nesting birds face many challenges to reproduce successfully, with nest predation being the main cause of reproductive failure. Visual predators such as corvids and egg-eating raptors, are among the most common causes of nest failure; thus, parental strategies that reduce the risk of visual nest predation should be favored by selection. To date, most research has focused on egg crypsis without considering adult crypsis, although in natural circumstances the eggs are covered by an incubating parent most of the time. Here we use a ground-nesting shorebird, the Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) as model species to experimentally test whether decoy parents influence nest predation. Using artificial nests with a male decoy, a female decoy or no decoy, we found that the presence of a decoy increased nest predation (N = 107 nests, p < 0.001). However, no difference was found in predation rates between nests with a male versus female decoy (p > 0.05). Additionally, we found that nests in densely vegetated habitats experienced higher survival compared to nests placed in sparsely vegetated habitats. Nest camera images, predator tracks and marks left on eggs identified the brown-necked raven (Corvus ruficollis) as the main visual nest predator. Our study suggests that the presence of incubating parents may enhance nest detectability to visual predators. However, parents may reduce the predation risk by placing a nest in sites where they are covered by vegetation. Our findings highlight the importance of nest site selection not only regarding egg crypsis but also considering incubating adult camouflage.}, }
@article {pmid32721676, year = {2020}, author = {Bravo, C and Pays, O and Sarasa, M and Bretagnolle, V}, title = {Revisiting an old question: Which predators eat eggs of ground-nesting birds in farmland landscapes?.}, journal = {The Science of the total environment}, volume = {744}, number = {}, pages = {140895}, doi = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140895}, pmid = {32721676}, issn = {1879-1026}, mesh = {Animals ; *Chickens ; Farms ; Female ; France ; *Nesting Behavior ; Predatory Behavior ; }, abstract = {Nest predation is a major cause of reproductive failure in birds, but predator identity often remains unknown. Additionally, although corvids are considered major nest predators in farmland landscapes, whether breeders or floaters are involved remains contentious. In this study, we aimed to identify nest predators using artificial nests, and test whether territorial or non-breeders carrion crow (Corvus corone) and Eurasian magpie (Pica pica) were most likely involved. We set up an experiment with artificial ground nests (n = 1429) in farmland landscapes of western France, and assessed how different combinations of egg size and egg material (small plasticine egg, large plasticine egg, quail and natural hen eggs) might influence predation rates and predator species involved. Nest predators were identified using remotely triggered cameras and marks left in plasticine eggs. Corvids were by far the predators most involved (almost 80% of all predation events), independent of egg type. Carrion crows alone were involved in 60% of cases. Probability of predation increased with egg size, and predation rate was higher for natural than for artificial eggs, suggesting that, in addition to egg size, predators might perceive plasticine and natural eggs differently. Predation rates of artificial nests by corvids were related significantly to corvid abundance, and far more to breeder than floater abundances, for both carrion crows and magpies. This study emphasizes the importance of identifying predators at species level, and considering their social status when assessing corvid abundance impact on prey population dynamics. Combining camera traps and plasticine eggs can achieve this objective. Given the high predation rate by carrion crows, a better understanding of landscape-mediated changes in predator diet seems mandatory to design mitigation schemes able to confront ecological challenges raised by generalist predators.}, }
@article {pmid32718867, year = {2020}, author = {Operto, FF and Pastorino, GMG and Mazza, R and Di Bonaventura, C and Marotta, R and Pastorino, N and Matricardi, S and Verrotti, A and Carotenuto, M and Roccella, M}, title = {Social cognition and executive functions in children and adolescents with focal epilepsy.}, journal = {European journal of paediatric neurology : EJPN : official journal of the European Paediatric Neurology Society}, volume = {28}, number = {}, pages = {167-175}, doi = {10.1016/j.ejpn.2020.06.019}, pmid = {32718867}, issn = {1532-2130}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Child ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Emotions ; Epilepsies, Partial/complications/*psychology ; *Executive Function ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Neuropsychological Tests ; *Social Cognition ; *Theory of Mind ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: Deficits in facial emotion recognition and Theory of Mind are frequent in patients with epilepsy. Although this evidence, studies on pediatric age are few and the relation between these abilities and other cognitive domain remains to be better elucidated. The purpose of our study is to evaluate facial emotion recognition and Theory of Mind in children and adolescents with focal epilepsy, and correlate them with intelligence and executive functions.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our work is a cross-sectional observational study. Sixty-two children and adolescents aged between 7-16 years diagnosed by focal epilepsy and 32 sex/age-matched controls were recruited. All participants were administered a standardized battery tests to assess social cognition (NEPSY-II), executive functions (EpiTrack Junior) and cognitive non-verbal level (Raven Progressive Matrices).<br><br>RESULTS: Emotion recognition mean score was significantly lower in the epilepsy group than in the controls to Student's t-test (p<0.05). Epilepsy group showed an impairment in happiness, sadness, anger and fear recognition, compared to controls (p<0.05). Theory of Mind mean score was also significantly lower in epilepsy group than controls (p<0.05). Deficits in emotion recognition seemed to be related to low age at onset of epilepsy, long duration of disease, low executive functions and low non-verbal intelligence. Deficits in Theory of Mind seemed to be related to a high seizure frequency.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that children and adolescents with focal epilepsy had deficit in facial emotion recognition and Theory of Mind, compared to their peer. Both these difficulties seem to be related to some features of epilepsy itself. Our results also suggest that deficits in facial emotion recognition are potentially related to difficulties in executive functions and non-verbal intelligence. More studies are needed to confirm these hypotheses.}, }
@article {pmid32707063, year = {2020}, author = {Aulsebrook, AE and Connelly, F and Johnsson, RD and Jones, TM and Mulder, RA and Hall, ML and Vyssotski, AL and Lesku, JA}, title = {White and Amber Light at Night Disrupt Sleep Physiology in Birds.}, journal = {Current biology : CB}, volume = {30}, number = {18}, pages = {3657-3663.e5}, doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2020.06.085}, pmid = {32707063}, issn = {1879-0445}, mesh = {Animals ; *Circadian Rhythm ; Color ; Female ; *Light ; Male ; Passeriformes/*physiology ; Sleep/*physiology/radiation effects ; }, abstract = {Artificial light at night can disrupt sleep in humans [1-4] and other animals [5-10]. A key mechanism for light to affect sleep is via non-visual photoreceptors that are most sensitive to short-wavelength (blue) light [11]. To minimize effects of artificial light on sleep, many electronic devices shift from white (blue-rich) to amber (blue-reduced) light in the evening. Switching outdoor lighting from white to amber might also benefit wildlife [12]. However, whether these two colors of light affect sleep similarly in different animals remains poorly understood. Here we show, by measuring brain activity, that both white and amber lighting disrupt sleep in birds but that the magnitude of these effects differs between species. When experimentally exposed to light at night at intensities typical of urban areas, domestic pigeons (Columba livia) and wild-caught Australian magpies (Cracticus tibicen tyrannica) slept less, favored non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep over REM sleep, slept less intensely, and had more fragmented sleep compared to when lights were switched off. In pigeons, these disruptive effects on sleep were similar for white and amber lighting. For magpies, however, amber light had less impact on sleep. Our results demonstrate that amber lighting can minimize sleep disruption in some birds but that this benefit may not be universal. VIDEO ABSTRACT.}, }
@article {pmid32681160, year = {2020}, author = {Lee, CY and Peralta-Sánchez, JM and Martínez-Bueno, M and Møller, AP and Rabelo-Ruiz, M and Zamora-Muñoz, C and Soler, JJ}, title = {The gut microbiota of brood parasite and host nestlings reared within the same environment: disentangling genetic and environmental effects.}, journal = {The ISME journal}, volume = {14}, number = {11}, pages = {2691-2702}, pmid = {32681160}, issn = {1751-7370}, mesh = {Animals ; Climate ; *Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Humans ; *Parasites ; *Passeriformes ; Phylogeny ; }, abstract = {Gut microbiota are essential for host health and survival, but we are still far from understanding the processes involved in shaping their composition and evolution. Controlled experimental work under lab conditions as well as human studies pointed at environmental factors (i.e., diet) as the main determinant of the microbiota with little evidence of genetic effects, while comparative interspecific studies detected significant phylogenetic effects. Different species, however, also differ in diet, feeding behavior, and environmental characteristics of habitats, all of which also vary interspecifically, and, therefore, can potentially explain most of the detected phylogenetic patterns. Here, we take advantage of the reproductive strategy of avian brood parasites and investigate gut microbiotas (esophageal (food and saliva) and intestinal) of great spotted cuckoo (Clamator glandarius) and magpie (Pica pica) nestlings that grow in the same nests. We also estimated diet received by each nestling and explored its association with gut microbiota characteristics. Although esophageal microbiota of magpies and great spotted cuckoos raised within the same environment (nest) did not vary, the microbiota of cloacal samples showed clear interspecific differences. Moreover, diet of great spotted cuckoo and magpie nestlings explained the microbiota composition of esophageal samples, but not of cloaca samples. These results strongly suggest a genetic component determining the intestinal microbiota of host and parasitic bird species, indicating that interspecific differences in gut morphology and physiology are responsible for such interspecific differences.}, }
@article {pmid32680498, year = {2020}, author = {Wei, W and Zhen, Q and Tang, Z and Oosthuizen, MK}, title = {Risk assessment in the plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae): intensity of behavioral response differs with predator species.}, journal = {BMC ecology}, volume = {20}, number = {1}, pages = {41}, pmid = {32680498}, issn = {1472-6785}, mesh = {Animals ; *Lagomorpha ; Risk Assessment ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: The ability of a prey species to assess the risk that a predator poses can have important fitness advantages for the prey species. To better understand predator-prey interactions, more species need to be observed to determine how prey behavioral responses differ in intensity when approached by different types of predators. The plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) is preyed upon by all predators occurring in its distribution area. Therefore, it is an ideal species to study anti-predator behavior. In this study, we investigated the intensity of anti-predator behavior of pikas in response to visual cues by using four predator species models in Maqu County on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.<br><br>RESULTS: The behavioral response metrics, such as Flight Initiation Distance (FID), the hiding time and the percentage of vigilance were significantly different when exposed to a Tibetan fox, a wolf, a Saker falcon and a large-billed crow, respectively. Pikas showed a stronger response to Saker falcons compared to any of the other predators.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that pikas alter their behavioral (such as FID, the hiding time and the vigilance) response intensity to optimally balance the benefits when exposed to different taxidermy predator species models. We conclude that pikas are able to assess their actual risk of predation and show a threat-sensitive behavioral response.}, }
@article {pmid32679226, year = {2020}, author = {Mohamed Benkada, A and Pontier, F and Dufour, V}, title = {Conflict management in rooks (Corvus frugilegus): Victims do not display post-conflict affiliation but avoid their former aggressor.}, journal = {Behavioural processes}, volume = {179}, number = {}, pages = {104198}, doi = {10.1016/j.beproc.2020.104198}, pmid = {32679226}, issn = {1872-8308}, mesh = {Aggression ; Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; *Crows ; Humans ; Reproduction ; *Sexual Behavior, Animal ; Sexual Partners ; Social Behavior ; }, abstract = {Many social species use post-conflict behaviors to mitigate the consequences of conflicts. One of these behaviors is the victim's affiliation with its former opponent following conflict in an attempt to restore the damaged relationship. The victim can also affiliate with a third party. Affiliation with former opponents and third parties also alleviates stress. Studies of conflict management strategies in birds mostly concern corvids, and more specifically rooks (Corvus frugilegus). In this colonial pair-bonded species, the most valuable relationship is with the mate. It is rarely conflictual, meaning that there is generally no need for any post-conflict affiliation. However, conflicts occur with other social partners, and victims may primarily use third-party affiliation to avoid renewed aggression after conflicts. Previous studies of rooks failed to show a protective role of third-party affiliations for rook victims. The present study seeks to further investigate the use and efficiency of these conflict management strategies from the victim's perspective. We recorded conflicts and post-conflict behaviors in captive rooks using the standard post-conflict matched control comparison method. Victims did not affiliate with their former opponent or with third parties after conflict, but rather avoided their former aggressor, thus successfully limiting the risk of renewed aggression. Post-conflict affiliations are not observed in all rook colonies, suggesting that avoidance of the former aggressor may be a more commonly used strategy than previously thought.}, }
@article {pmid32661811, year = {2021}, author = {Baciadonna, L and Cornero, FM and Emery, NJ and Clayton, NS}, title = {Convergent evolution of complex cognition: Insights from the field of avian cognition into the study of self-awareness.}, journal = {Learning &amp; behavior}, volume = {49}, number = {1}, pages = {9-22}, pmid = {32661811}, issn = {1543-4508}, mesh = {Animals ; Brain ; *Cognition ; *Hominidae ; Imagination ; Problem Solving ; }, abstract = {Pioneering research on avian behaviour and cognitive neuroscience have highlighted that avian species, mainly corvids and parrots, have a cognitive tool kit comparable with apes and other large-brained mammals, despite conspicuous differences in their neuroarchitecture. This cognitive tool kit is driven by convergent evolution, and consists of complex processes such as casual reasoning, behavioural flexibility, imagination, and prospection. Here, we review experimental studies in corvids and parrots that tested complex cognitive processes within this tool kit. We then provide experimental examples for the potential involvement of metacognitive skills in the expression of the cognitive tool kit. We further expand the discussion of cognitive and metacognitive abilities in avian species, suggesting that an integrated assessment of these processes, together with revised and multiple tasks of mirror self-recognition, might shed light on one of the most highly debated topics in the literature-self-awareness in animals. Comparing the use of multiple assessments of self-awareness within species and across taxa will provide a more informative, richer picture of the level of consciousness in different organisms.}, }
@article {pmid32659206, year = {2020}, author = {Slatin, C}, title = {Under the Knee of Jim Crow and Neoliberalism.}, journal = {New solutions : a journal of environmental and occupational health policy : NS}, volume = {30}, number = {2}, pages = {80-82}, doi = {10.1177/1048291120938232}, pmid = {32659206}, issn = {1541-3772}, mesh = {Humans ; *Politics ; Racism ; }, }
@article {pmid32654890, year = {2020}, author = {Gillespie, A}, title = {The Story of Dr Jay.}, journal = {American journal of kidney diseases : the official journal of the National Kidney Foundation}, volume = {76}, number = {4}, pages = {A18-A19}, doi = {10.1053/j.ajkd.2020.04.005}, pmid = {32654890}, issn = {1523-6838}, }
@article {pmid32638171, year = {2021}, author = {Wang, L and Zhang, D and Sui, J}, title = {Investigation of cognitive mechanisms and strategy on solving multiple string-pulling problems in Azure-winged magpie (Cyanopica cyanus).}, journal = {Animal cognition}, volume = {24}, number = {1}, pages = {1-10}, pmid = {32638171}, issn = {1435-9456}, support = {2015HXFWBHQ-SJL-01//Research Fund for General Survey of Wildlife Resources/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Cognition ; Learning ; Motivation ; *Passeriformes ; *Problem Solving ; }, abstract = {String-pulling tasks are a widely used paradigm in animal cognition research. The present study tested whether ten azure-winged magpies (Cyanopica cyanus) could solve a series of multiple-strings problems with the aim of systematically investigating which rules this species uses to solve different-patterned string tasks, i.e., tasks in which subjects have to choose between two strings only one of which is connected to bait. When the subjects faced the parallel strings task (T1), five birds (C3, C5, C8, C9, and C10) were able to solve the task and acted in a goal-directed manner. Three birds (C5, C8, and C9) successfully solved the oblique parallel strings task (T3). The azure-winged magpies exhibited proximity selection in the oblique parallel strings task (C1 and C4 in T2), and the task with one string folded at a right angle (C3, C6 and C8 in T5). Several subjects also performed simple strategies in other unresolved tasks, e.g., random selection, trial-and-error learning, and side bias strategies (i.e., a certain degree of "left-handed" tendency). These results demonstrated that the azure-winged magpie possesses the potential to solve simple multiple-string tasks, although when faced with more difficult problems they could not solve them.}, }
@article {pmid32636372, year = {2020}, author = {Weissensteiner, MH and Bunikis, I and Catalán, A and Francoijs, KJ and Knief, U and Heim, W and Peona, V and Pophaly, SD and Sedlazeck, FJ and Suh, A and Warmuth, VM and Wolf, JBW}, title = {Discovery and population genomics of structural variation in a songbird genus.}, journal = {Nature communications}, volume = {11}, number = {1}, pages = {3403}, pmid = {32636372}, issn = {2041-1723}, support = {UM1 HG008898/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Chromosome Inversion ; Gene Deletion ; *Genetic Variation ; *Genetics, Population ; Genome ; Genomic Structural Variation ; Genotype ; Phylogeny ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Retroelements ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Songbirds/*genetics ; }, abstract = {Structural variation (SV) constitutes an important type of genetic mutations providing the raw material for evolution. Here, we uncover the genome-wide spectrum of intra- and interspecific SV segregating in natural populations of seven songbird species in the genus Corvus. Combining short-read (N = 127) and long-read re-sequencing (N = 31), as well as optical mapping (N = 16), we apply both assembly- and read mapping approaches to detect SV and characterize a total of 220,452 insertions, deletions and inversions. We exploit sampling across wide phylogenetic timescales to validate SV genotypes and assess the contribution of SV to evolutionary processes in an avian model of incipient speciation. We reveal an evolutionary young (~530,000 years) cis-acting 2.25-kb LTR retrotransposon insertion reducing expression of the NDP gene with consequences for premating isolation. Our results attest to the wealth and evolutionary significance of SV segregating in natural populations and highlight the need for reliable SV genotyping.}, }
@article {pmid32631282, year = {2020}, author = {Walker, EV and Yuan, Y and Girgis, S and Goodman, KJ}, title = {Patterns of fish and whale consumption in relation to methylmercury in hair among residents of Western Canadian Arctic communities.}, journal = {BMC public health}, volume = {20}, number = {1}, pages = {1073}, pmid = {32631282}, issn = {1471-2458}, support = {MOP115031, IPH108285, 90386/CAPMC/CIHR/Canada ; 201201159//Alberta Innovates - Health Solutions/ ; }, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; Arctic Regions ; Diet/methods/*statistics &amp; numerical data ; Female ; Fishes ; Food Contamination/*analysis ; Hair/*chemistry ; Humans ; Longitudinal Studies ; Male ; Methylmercury Compounds/*analysis ; Northwest Territories ; Seafood/*analysis ; Seasons ; Whales ; Yukon Territory ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Methylmercury contamination of the environment represents a substantial environmental health concern. Human exposure to methylmercury occurs primarily through consumption of fish and marine mammals. Heavily exposed subgroups include sport or subsistence fishers residing in Arctic communities. We aimed to estimate the association of fish/whale consumption patterns of Canadian Arctic subsistence fishers with the internal dose of methylmercury as measured in hair.<br><br>METHODS: This research was conducted within ongoing community projects led by the CANHelp Working Group in Aklavik and Fort McPherson, Northwest Territories and Old Crow, Yukon. We interviewed each participant using a fish-focused food-frequency questionnaire during September-November 2016 and collected hair samples concurrently. Methylmercury was measured in the full-length of each hair sample using gas chromatography inductively-coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Multivariable linear regression estimated beta-coefficients and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the effect of fish/whale consumption on hair-methylmercury concentrations.<br><br>RESULTS: Among 101 participants who provided hair samples and diet data, the mean number of fish/whale species eaten was 3.5 (SD:1.9). The mean hair-methylmercury concentration was 0.60 μg/g (SD:0.47). Fish/whale consumption was positively associated with hair-methylmercury concentration, after adjusting for sex, hair length and use of permanent hair treatments. Hair-methylmercury concentrations among participants who consumed the most fish/whale in each season ranged from 0.30-0.50 μg/g higher than those who consumed < 1 meal/week.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: In this population of Canadian Arctic subsistence fishers, hair-methylmercury concentration increased with fish/whale consumption, but the maximum concentrations were below Health Canada's 6.0 μg/g threshold for safe exposure.}, }
@article {pmid32612316, year = {2020}, author = {Boucherie, PH and Blum, C and Bugnyar, T}, title = {Effect of rearing style on the development of social behaviour in young ravens (Corvus corax).}, journal = {Ethology : formerly Zeitschrift fur Tierpsychologie}, volume = {126}, number = {6}, pages = {595-609}, pmid = {32612316}, issn = {0179-1613}, abstract = {Early social experiences can affect the development and expression of individual social behaviour throughout life. In particular, early-life social deprivations, notably of parental care, can later have deleterious consequences. We can, therefore, expect rearing procedures such as hand-raising-widely used in ethology and socio-cognitive science-to alter the development of individual social behaviour. We investigated how the rearing style later affected (a) variation in relationship strength among peers and (b) individuals' patterns of social interactions, in three captive groups of juvenile non-breeders consisting of either parent-raised or hand-raised birds, or a mix of both rearing styles. In the three groups, irrespectively of rearing style: strongest relationships (i.e., higher rates of association and affiliations) primarily emerged among siblings and familiar partners (i.e., non-relatives encountered in early life), and mixed-sex and male-male partners established relationships of similar strength, indicating that the rearing style does not severely affect the quality and structure of relationships in young ravens. However, compared to parent-raised ravens, hand-raised ravens showed higher connectedness, i.e., number of partners with whom they mainly associated and affiliated, but formed on average relationships of lower strength, indicating that social experience in early life is not without consequences on the development of ravens' patterns of social interaction. The deprivation of parental care associated with the presence of same-age peers during hand-raising seemed to maximize ravens' propensity to interact with others, indicating that besides parents, interactions with same-age peers matter. Opportunities to interact with, and socially learn from peers, might thus be the key to the acquisition of early social competences in ravens.}, }
@article {pmid32583684, year = {2020}, author = {Strozier, CB}, title = {A Tribute to Robert Jay Lifton.}, journal = {Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association}, volume = {68}, number = {3}, pages = {407-411}, doi = {10.1177/0003065120937642}, pmid = {32583684}, issn = {1941-2460}, mesh = {History, 20th Century ; Humans ; Psychoanalysis/*history ; }, }
@article {pmid32581107, year = {2020}, author = {Chang, WS and Eden, JS and Hall, J and Shi, M and Rose, K and Holmes, EC}, title = {Metatranscriptomic Analysis of Virus Diversity in Urban Wild Birds with Paretic Disease.}, journal = {Journal of virology}, volume = {94}, number = {18}, pages = {}, pmid = {32581107}, issn = {1098-5514}, mesh = {Adenoviridae/classification/genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; Animals ; Animals, Wild/*virology ; Astroviridae/classification/genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; Australia/epidemiology ; Bird Diseases/*epidemiology/virology ; Birds/*virology ; Circoviridae/classification/genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; Cities ; DNA Virus Infections/epidemiology/*veterinary/virology ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Humans ; *Metagenome ; Paramyxoviridae/classification/genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; Parvoviridae/classification/genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; Phylogeny ; Picornaviridae/classification/genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; Polyomaviridae/classification/genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; RNA Virus Infections/epidemiology/*veterinary/virology ; *Transcriptome ; }, abstract = {Wild birds are major natural reservoirs and potential dispersers of a variety of infectious diseases. As such, it is important to determine the diversity of viruses they carry and use this information to help understand the potential risks of spillover to humans, domestic animals, and other wildlife. We investigated the potential viral causes of paresis in long-standing, but undiagnosed, disease syndromes in wild Australian birds. RNA from diseased birds was extracted and pooled based on tissue type, host species, and clinical manifestation for metagenomic sequencing. Using a bulk and unbiased metatranscriptomic approach, combined with clinical investigation and histopathology, we identified a number of novel viruses from the families Astroviridae, Adenoviridae, Picornaviridae, Polyomaviridae, Paramyxoviridae, Parvoviridae, and Circoviridae in common urban wild birds, including Australian magpies, magpie larks, pied currawongs, Australian ravens, and rainbow lorikeets. In each case, the presence of the virus was confirmed by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR. These data revealed a number of candidate viral pathogens that may contribute to coronary, skeletal muscle, vascular, and neuropathology in birds of the Corvidae and Artamidae families and neuropathology in members of the Psittaculidae The existence of such a diverse virome in urban avian species highlights the importance and challenges in elucidating the etiology and ecology of wildlife pathogens in urban environments. This information will be increasingly important for managing disease risks and conducting surveillance for potential viral threats to wildlife, livestock, and human health.IMPORTANCE Wildlife naturally harbor a diverse array of infectious microorganisms and can be a source of novel diseases in domestic animals and human populations. Using unbiased RNA sequencing, we identified highly diverse viruses in native birds from Australian urban environments presenting with paresis. This research included the clinical investigation and description of poorly understood recurring syndromes of unknown etiology: clenched claw syndrome and black and white bird disease. As well as identifying a range of potentially disease-causing viral pathogens, this study describes methods that can effectively and efficiently characterize emergent disease syndromes in free-ranging wildlife and promotes further surveillance for specific pathogens of potential conservation and zoonotic concern.}, }
@article {pmid32570741, year = {2020}, author = {Gil-Espinosa, FJ and Chillón, P and Fernández-García, JC and Cadenas-Sanchez, C}, title = {Association of Physical Fitness with Intelligence and Academic Achievement in Adolescents.}, journal = {International journal of environmental research and public health}, volume = {17}, number = {12}, pages = {}, pmid = {32570741}, issn = {1660-4601}, mesh = {*Academic Success ; Adolescent ; Cardiorespiratory Fitness ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; *Intelligence ; Male ; *Physical Fitness ; Spain ; }, abstract = {Physical fitness, intelligence and academic achievement are being studied from a multidisciplinary perspective. In this line, studies to advance our understanding of intelligence and academic achievement could be relevant for designing school-based programs. Our study analyzed the relationship between components of physical fitness including cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength and flexibility and general intelligence and academic achievement in adolescents. We recruited 403 adolescents (53.6% boys) with a mean age of 13.7 ± 1.2 years from a secondary school in Spain with a medium socioeconomic status, during the 2015/2016 school year. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed by the 20-m shuttle run, muscular strength with the standing long jump test and flexibility with the sit-and-reach test. General intelligence was measured by both the D48 and the Raven tests. School grades were used to determine academic achievement. Linear regression analyses showed that cardiorespiratory fitness was positively associated with intelligence in both the D48 (all β ≥ 0.184, p ≤ 0.016) and the Raven tests (all β ≥ 0.183, p ≤ 0.024). Muscular strength, flexibility and overall fitness were not associated with intelligence (all β ≤ 0.122, p ≥ 0.139). Cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength and flexibility were positively associated with academic achievement (all β ≥ 0.089, p ≤ 0.038), except muscular strength, which was not significantly associated with Spanish language or mathematics, (all β ≤ 0.050, p ≥ 0.200). Overall, cardiorespiratory fitness was positively associated with intelligence and academic achievement.}, }
@article {pmid32539849, year = {2020}, author = {Chakarov, N and Kampen, H and Wiegmann, A and Werner, D and Bensch, S}, title = {Blood parasites in vectors reveal a united blackfly community in the upper canopy.}, journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors}, volume = {13}, number = {1}, pages = {309}, pmid = {32539849}, issn = {1756-3305}, support = {PIEF-GA-2013-625883//H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Bird Diseases/parasitology ; *Blood ; DNA/*genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; Female ; *Forests ; Haemosporida/*classification/isolation &amp; purification ; Host Specificity ; Insect Vectors/parasitology/physiology ; Meals ; Phylogeny ; Raptors/genetics/parasitology ; Simuliidae/*parasitology/physiology ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: The behaviour of blood-sucking arthropods is a crucial determinant of blood protozoan distribution and hence of host-parasite coevolution, but it is very challenging to study in the wild. The molecular identification of parasite lineages in vectors can be a useful key to understand the behaviour and transmission patterns realised by these vectors.<br><br>METHODS: In this study, we collected blackflies around nests of three raptor species in the upper forest canopy in central Europe and examined the presence of vertebrate DNA and haemosporidian parasites in them. We molecularly analysed 156 blackfly individuals, their vertebrate blood meals, and the haemosporidian parasite lineages they carried.<br><br>RESULTS: We identified nine species of Simulium blackflies, largely belonging to the subgenera Nevermannia and Eusimulium. Only 1% of the collected specimens was visibly engorged, and only 4% contained remains of host DNA. However, in 29% of the blackflies Leucocytozoon lineages were identified, which is evidence of a previous blood meal on an avian host. Based on the known vertebrate hosts of the recorded Leucocytozoon lineages, we can infer that large and/or abundant birds, such as thrushes, crows, pigeons, birds of prey, owls and tits are the main targets of ornithophilic blackflies in the canopy. Blackfly species contained similar proportions of host group-specific parasite lineages and thus do not appear to be associated with particular host groups.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The Leucocytozoon clade infecting thrushes, crows, and pigeons present in most represented blackfly species suggests a lack of association between hosts and blackflies, which can increase the probability of host switches of blood parasites. However, the composition of the simuliid species differed between nests of common buzzards, goshawks and red kites. This segregation can be explained by coinciding habitat preferences between host and vector, and may lead to the fast speciation of Leucocytozoon parasites. Thus, subtle ecological preferences and lack of host preference of vectors in the canopy may enable both parasite diversification and host switches, and enforce a habitat-dependent evolution of avian malaria parasites and related haemosporidia.}, }
@article {pmid32524146, year = {2020}, author = {Bratsberg, B and Rogeberg, O and Skirbekk, V}, title = {Fathers of children conceived using ART have higher cognitive ability scores than fathers of naturally conceived children.}, journal = {Human reproduction (Oxford, England)}, volume = {35}, number = {6}, pages = {1461-1468}, doi = {10.1093/humrep/deaa119}, pmid = {32524146}, issn = {1460-2350}, mesh = {Child ; *Child Development ; Cognition ; Humans ; Male ; Norway ; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted ; *Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic ; }, abstract = {STUDY QUESTION: Does paternal cognitive ability differ for children conceived with and without assisted reproductive technology (ART)?<br><br>SUMMARY ANSWER: Young fathers of ART conceived children tend to score cognitively below their same-age natural conception (NC) counterparts and older (above 35) fathers of ART conceived children tend to score above.<br><br>WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Cognitive ability is a genetically and socially transmitted trait, and If ART and NC children have parents with different levels of this trait, then this would in itself predict systematic differences in child cognitive outcomes. Research comparing cognitive outcomes of children with different modes of conception finds conflicting results, and studies may be influenced by selection and confounding.<br><br>STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: This is a population-based study based on Norwegian data, combining information from the Medical Birth Registry (births through 2012), military conscription tests (birth cohorts 1955-1977) and the population registry. These data allow us to compare the cognitive ability scores of men registered as the father of an ART-conceived child to the cognitive abilities of other fathers and to average scores in the paternal birth cohorts.<br><br>The population level study included 18 566 births after ART (5810 after ICSI, 12 756 after IVF), and 1 048 138 NC births. It included all Norwegian men who received a cognitive ability score after attending military conscription between 1973 and 1995. This constituted 614 827 men (89.4% of the male birth cohorts involved). An additional 77 650 unscored males were included in sensitivity analyses.<br><br>Paternal cognitive level was assessed using intelligence quotients (IQ) converted from stanine scores on a three-part cognitive ability test with items measuring numeracy, vocabulary and abstract thought (Raven-like matrices). ART fathers averaged 1.95 IQ points above the average of their own birth cohort (P-value < 0.0005) and 1.83 IQ points above NC fathers in their own birth cohort (P < 0.0005). Comparisons of the IQ of ART fathers to those of NC fathers of similar age and whose children were born in the same year, however, found average scores to be more similar (point estimate 0.24, P = 0.023). These low average differences were found to differ substantially by age of fatherhood, with young ART fathers scoring below their NC counterparts and older ART fathers scoring above their NC counterparts.<br><br>We do not have information on maternal cognition. We also lack information on unsuccessful infertility treatments that did not result in a live birth.<br><br>Paternal cognitive ability of ART children differs from that of NC children, and this difference varies systematically with paternal age at child birth. Selection effects into ART may help explain differences between ART and NC children and need to be adequately controlled for when assessing causal effects of ART treatment on child outcomes.<br><br>This research has also been supported by the Research Council of Norway through its Centres of Excellence funding scheme, project number 262700 (Centre for Fertility and Health). It has also been supported by the Research Council of Norway's Project 236992 (Egalitarianism under pressure? New perspectives on inequality and social cohesion). There are no competing interests.<br><br>TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: N/A.}, }
@article {pmid32520748, year = {2020}, author = {Bonsib, SM}, title = {Renal Hypoplasia, From Grossly Insufficient to Not Quite Enough: Consideration for Expanded Concepts Based Upon the Author's Perspective With Historical Review.}, journal = {Advances in anatomic pathology}, volume = {27}, number = {5}, pages = {311-330}, doi = {10.1097/PAP.0000000000000269}, pmid = {32520748}, issn = {1533-4031}, mesh = {Humans ; Kidney/*pathology ; Kidney Diseases/*pathology ; }, abstract = {Hypoplasia is defined in the Merriman-Webster dictionary as "a condition of arrested development in which an organ, or part, remains below the normal size, or in an immature state." The degree of reduced size is not definitional. Renal hypoplasia, however, has historically been defined as a more marked reduction in renal mass such that presentation in childhood is the norm. There are 3 commonly recognized types of renal hypoplasia, simple hypoplasia, oligomeganephronic hypoplasia (oligomeganephronia) and segmental hypoplasia (Ask-Upmark kidney). They have in common a reduction in the number of renal lobes. A fourth type, not widely recognized, is cortical hypoplasia where nephrogenesis is normal but there is a reduction in the number of nephron generations. Recently there has been great interest in milder degrees of reduced nephron mass, known as oligonephronia because of its association with risk of adult-onset hypertension and chronic kidney disease. Since the last pathology review of this topic was published by Jay Bernstein in 1968, an update of the renal pathology findings in renal hypoplasia is provided with a review of 18 new cases. The renal hypoplasias are then framed within the modern concept of oligonephronia, its diverse causes and prognostic implications.}, }
@article {pmid32508178, year = {2021}, author = {Layes, S and Lalonde, R and Rebai, M}, title = {Reading-related abilities underlying phonological awareness: a cross-sectional study in children with and without dyslexia.}, journal = {Logopedics, phoniatrics, vocology}, volume = {46}, number = {3}, pages = {110-117}, doi = {10.1080/14015439.2020.1768283}, pmid = {32508178}, issn = {1651-2022}, mesh = {Awareness ; Child ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; *Dyslexia/diagnosis ; Humans ; Phonetics ; *Reading ; Voice Quality ; }, abstract = {PURPOSE: The present cross-sectional study examined the individual role of rapid automatized naming (RAN), verbal short-term memory (VSTM), and phonological verbal fluency (PVF) along with word reading performance in predicting phonological awareness (PA).<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 225 Arabic speaking children from grades 2, 3, 4 and 5 took part in this study, divided into two groups of readers: typical developing readers and dyslexic readers. The participants were tested on word and pseudoword reading, phonological awareness, rapid naming, verbal short-term memory and phonological verbal fluency.<br><br>RESULTS: There are different predictive patterns between the two groups. Whereas Raven and Grade contributed directly in predicting PA in typical readers, VSTM and PVF directly predicted PA in children with dyslexia. However, word reading played a dual role in the both groups as direct predictors of PA, mediating the predictive relationships between PA and the other variables.<br><br>CONCLUSION: The results suggest the potential existence of an underlying phonological representation processing ability shared between PA, phonological access (RAN and PVF), VSTM, and word reading ability.}, }
@article {pmid32501351, year = {2020}, author = {Prescod-Weinstein, C}, title = {The not-so-blue jays.}, journal = {New scientist (1971)}, volume = {246}, number = {3283}, pages = {21}, doi = {10.1016/S0262-4079(20)30964-7}, pmid = {32501351}, issn = {0262-4079}, abstract = {Watching birds is great entertainment, and there's fascinating physics behind how some get their colours, says Chanda Prescod-Weinstein.}, }
@article {pmid32487038, year = {2020}, author = {Hasan, H and Deek, MP and Phillips, R and Hobbs, RF and Malek, R and Radwan, N and Kiess, AP and Dipasquale, S and Huang, J and Caldwell, T and Leitzel, J and Wendler, D and Wang, H and Thompson, E and Powell, J and Dudley, S and Deville, C and Greco, SC and Song, DY and DeWeese, TL and Gorin, MA and Rowe, SP and Denmeade, S and Markowski, M and Antonarakis, ES and Carducci, MA and Eisenberger, MA and Pomper, MG and Pienta, KJ and Paller, CJ and Tran, PT}, title = {A phase II randomized trial of RAdium-223 dichloride and SABR Versus SABR for oligomEtastatic prostate caNcerS (RAVENS).}, journal = {BMC cancer}, volume = {20}, number = {1}, pages = {492}, pmid = {32487038}, issn = {1471-2407}, support = {IIRUS2014437//Bayer HealthCare/ ; }, mesh = {Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Animals ; Bone Neoplasms/mortality/secondary/*therapy ; Chemoradiotherapy/adverse effects/*methods ; Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic ; Disease Progression ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Progression-Free Survival ; Prostatic Neoplasms/mortality/pathology/*therapy ; Radioisotopes/administration &amp; dosage/adverse effects ; Radiosurgery/adverse effects/*methods ; Radium/*administration &amp; dosage/adverse effects ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Young Adult ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Metastasis directed therapy (MDT) for patients with oligometastatic disease is associated with improvements in progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) compared to systemic therapy alone. Additionally, within a prostate-cancer-specific cohort, MDT is able to forestall initiation of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in men with hormone-sensitive, oligometastatic prostate cancer (HSOPCa) compared to observation. While MDT appears to be safe and effective in HSOPCa, a large percentage of men will eventually have disease recurrence. Patterns of failure in HSOPCa demonstrate patients tend to have recurrence in the bone following MDT, raising the question of sub-clinically-apparent osseous disease. Radium-223 dichloride is a radiopharmaceutical with structural similarity to calcium, allowing it to be taken up by bone where it emits alpha particles, and therefore might have utility in the treatment of micrometastatic osseous disease. Therefore, the primary goal of the phase II RAVENS trial is to evaluate the efficacy of MDT + radium-223 dichloride in prolonging progression free survival in men with HSOPCa.<br><br>METHODS: Patients with HSOPCa and 3 or less metastases with at least 1 bone metastasis will be randomized 1:1 to stereotactic ablative radiation (SABR, also known as stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT)) alone vs SABR + radium-223 dichloride with a minimization algorithm to balance assignment by institution, primary intervention, prior hormonal therapy, and PSA doubling time. SABR is delivered in one to five fractions and patients in the SABR + radium-223 dichloride arm will receive six infusions of radium-223 dichloride at four-week intervals. The primary end point is progression free survival. The secondary clinical endpoints include toxicity and quality of life assessments, local control at 12 months, locoregional progression, time to distant progression, time to new metastasis, and duration of response.<br><br>DISCUSSION: The RAVENS trial will be the first described phase II, non-blinded, randomized study to compare SABR +/- radium-223 dichloride in patients with HSOPCa and 3 or less metastases with at least one bone metastasis. The primary hypothesis is that SABR + radium-223 dichloride will increase median progression-free survival from 10 months in the SABR arm to 20 months in the SABR + radium-223 dichloride arm.<br><br>TRIAL REGISTRATIONS: Clinicaltrials.gov. Identifier: NCT04037358. Date of Registration: July 30, 2019. Date of First Participant Enrolled: August 9, 2019. Date of Last Approved Amendment: October 16, 2019. Protocol Version: Version 5.}, }
@article {pmid32485232, year = {2020}, author = {Wang, L and Luo, Y and Wang, H and Zou, Y and Yao, H and Ullah, S and Li, Z}, title = {Azure-winged magpies fail to understand the principle of mirror imaging.}, journal = {Behavioural processes}, volume = {177}, number = {}, pages = {104155}, doi = {10.1016/j.beproc.2020.104155}, pmid = {32485232}, issn = {1872-8308}, mesh = {Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; Cognition ; *Passeriformes ; *Recognition, Psychology ; }, abstract = {Mirror self-recognition (MSR) is considered a crucial step in the emergence of self-cognition. The MSR paradigm has become a standard method for evaluating self-cognition in several species. For example, Eurasian magpies and Indian house crows have passed the mark test for self-cognition, whereas efforts to find MSR in other corvid species have failed. However, no literature has conducted MSR tests on azure-winged magpies, a species of corvids. Therefore, the current research aimed to investigate the MSR behaviours of azure-winged magpies upon looking into a mirror for the first time. The study included four tests: (1) mirror preference and standardised mirror exploration, (2) single vertical mirror test, (3) mark test and (4) mirror-triggered search test. The azure-winged magpies displayed immense curiosity towards the mirror and their images in the mirror in Test 1&amp;2. In the subsequent mark tests, they failed to recognise themselves in the mirror and regarded their images as conspecifics. Behaviour analysis showed no significant difference between marked and unmarked behaviours. Finally they seemed to infer the presence of bait from the image in the mirror, but were found to fail to understand that the location of the bait in the mirror was the same as that in the real world. For a better insight into the MSR behaviour of azure-winged magpies, research studies involving prolonged mirror exposure and training are recommended.}, }
@article {pmid32477837, year = {2020}, author = {Wang, L and Guo, J and Tian, HJ and Sui, J}, title = {The ability of oriental magpies (Pica serica) to solve baited multiple-string problems.}, journal = {PeerJ}, volume = {8}, number = {}, pages = {e9200}, pmid = {32477837}, issn = {2167-8359}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Baited multiple-string problems are commonly used in avian laboratory studies to evaluate complex cognition. Several bird species possess the ability to use a string pull for obtaining food.<br><br>METHODS: We initially tested and trained 11 magpies to determine whether the oriental magpie (Pica sericia) possesses the ability to solve baited multiple-string problems. Eight of the birds obtained the bait by pulling, and were selected for formal multiple-string tasks in the second stage. Second stage tests were divided into seven tasks based on string configurations.<br><br>RESULTS: Only two magpies were able to solve two tasks: one solved the task of parallel strings, and the other solved the task of slanted strings with the bait farther from the middle point between the two strings and selected the short string in the task of long-short strings. When faced with more difficult tasks (i.e., the task of slanted strings with the bait closer to the middle point between the two strings, the task with two crossing strings, and the task of continuity and discontinuity), the birds initially observed the tasks and chose instead to adopt simpler strategies based on the proximity principle, side bias strategies and trial-and-error learning. Our results indicate that the oriental magpie had a partial understanding of the principle of multiple-string problems but adopted simpler strategies.}, }
@article {pmid32475721, year = {2020}, author = {Deguines, N and Lorrilliere, R and Dozières, A and Bessa-Gomes, C and Chiron, F}, title = {Any despot at my table? Competition among native and introduced bird species at garden birdfeeders in winter.}, journal = {The Science of the total environment}, volume = {734}, number = {}, pages = {139263}, doi = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139263}, pmid = {32475721}, issn = {1879-1026}, mesh = {Animal Feed ; Animals ; Columbidae ; Europe ; Gardening ; *Gardens ; *Introduced Species ; Seasons ; }, abstract = {Garden bird feeding constitutes a massive provision of food that can support bird communities, but there is a growing concern it might favour the establishment of exotic species that could be detrimental to others. How bird species compete with novel species for this anthropogenic food resources needs to be assessed. Here, we investigated competition in wintering bird communities at garden birdfeeders. We evaluated whether - and how much - bird access to resources is hampered by the presence of putative superior competing species, among which the Rose-ringed parakeet, the most abundant introduced species across Europe. Using the nation-wide citizen science scheme BirdLab, in which volunteers record in real-time bird attendance on a pair of birdfeeders during 5-minute sessions, we tested whether i) cumulative bird presence time and richness at birdfeeders, and ii) species probability of presence at birdfeeders, were influenced by three large species (the Eurasian magpie, the Eurasian collared-dove, and the Rose-ringed parakeet). Additionally, we assessed whether the Rose-ringed parakeet occupied resources significantly more than others. Presence of the Rose-ringed parakeet or the Eurasian collared-dove similarly reduced community cumulative presence time at birdfeeders, but only the dove reduced community richness. Each of the three large species influenced the presence of at least one of the six smaller species that could be separately modelled, but effects varied in strength and direction. The Rose-ringed parakeet and the Eurasian collared-dove were among the three species monopolising birdfeeders the longest, substantially more than the Eurasian magpie. Our findings confirm the competitive abilities of the large species studied, but do not suggest that garden bird feeding may alarmingly favour introduced species with detrimental effects on native species. Given the variability of large species' effects on small passerines, direct and indirect interactions among all species must be examined to fully understand the ecological net effects at stake.}, }
@article {pmid32475334, year = {2020}, author = {Uomini, N and Fairlie, J and Gray, RD and Griesser, M}, title = {Extended parenting and the evolution of cognition.}, journal = {Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences}, volume = {375}, number = {1803}, pages = {20190495}, pmid = {32475334}, issn = {1471-2970}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; *Cognition ; *Crows/growth &amp; development ; Life History Traits ; *Maternal Behavior ; *Paternal Behavior ; Phylogeny ; Songbirds/growth &amp; development ; }, abstract = {Traditional attempts to understand the evolution of human cognition compare humans with other primates. This research showed that relative brain size covaries with cognitive skills, while adaptations that buffer the developmental and energetic costs of large brains (e.g. allomaternal care), and ecological or social benefits of cognitive abilities, are critical for their evolution. To understand the drivers of cognitive adaptations, it is profitable to consider distant lineages with convergently evolved cognitions. Here, we examine the facilitators of cognitive evolution in corvid birds, where some species display cultural learning, with an emphasis on family life. We propose that extended parenting (protracted parent-offspring association) is pivotal in the evolution of cognition: it combines critical life-history, social and ecological conditions allowing for the development and maintenance of cognitive skillsets that confer fitness benefits to individuals. This novel hypothesis complements the extended childhood idea by considering the parents' role in juvenile development. Using phylogenetic comparative analyses, we show that corvids have larger body sizes, longer development times, extended parenting and larger relative brain sizes than other passerines. Case studies from two corvid species with different ecologies and social systems highlight the critical role of life-history features on juveniles' cognitive development: extended parenting provides a safe haven, access to tolerant role models, reliable learning opportunities and food, resulting in higher survival. The benefits of extended juvenile learning periods, over evolutionary time, lead to selection for expanded cognitive skillsets. Similarly, in our ancestors, cooperative breeding and increased group sizes facilitated learning and teaching. Our analyses highlight the critical role of life-history, ecological and social factors that underlie both extended parenting and expanded cognitive skillsets. This article is part of the theme issue 'Life history and learning: how childhood, caregiving and old age shape cognition and culture in humans and other animals'.}, }
@article {pmid32468297, year = {2020}, author = {Liu, J and Xu, J and Zou, G and He, Y and Zou, Q and Gao, JH}, title = {Reliability and Individual Specificity of EEG Microstate Characteristics.}, journal = {Brain topography}, volume = {33}, number = {4}, pages = {438-449}, doi = {10.1007/s10548-020-00777-2}, pmid = {32468297}, issn = {1573-6792}, support = {2016ZT06S220//Guangdong Pearl River Talents Plan/International ; 2015CB856400//China's National Strategic Basic Research Program ("973") grant/International ; 81871427//National Natural Science Foundation of China/International ; 81671765//National Natural Science Foundation of China/International ; 81430037//National Natural Science Foundation of China/International ; 81727808//National Natural Science Foundation of China/International ; 81790650//National Natural Science Foundation of China/International ; 81790651//National Natural Science Foundation of China/International ; 31421003//National Natural Science Foundation of China/International ; 7172121//Beijing Municipal Natural Science Foundation/International ; 2018YFC2000603//National Key Research and Development Program of China/International ; 2017YFC0108900//National Key Research and Development Program of China/International ; Z181100001518005//Beijing Municipal Science &amp; Technology Commission/International ; Z161100002616006//Beijing Municipal Science &amp; Technology Commission/International ; Z171100000117012//Beijing Municipal Science &amp; Technology Commission/International ; 2018B030332001//The Guangdong Key Basic Research Grant/International ; }, mesh = {*Brain/physiology ; *Electroencephalography ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Intelligence ; Reproducibility of Results ; }, abstract = {Electroencephalography (EEG) microstates (MSs) are defined as quasi-stable topographies that represent global coherent activation. Alternations in EEG MSs have been reported in numerous neuropsychiatric disorders. Transferring the results of these studies into clinical practice requires not only high reliability but also sufficient individual specificity. Nevertheless, whether the amount of data used in microstate analysis influences reliability and how much individual information is provided by EEG MSs are unclear. In the current study, we aimed to assess the within-subject consistency and between-subject differences in the characteristics of EEG MSs. Two sets of eyes-closed resting-state EEG recordings were collected from 54 young, healthy participants on two consecutive days. The Raven Advanced Progressive Matrices test was conducted to assess general fluid intelligence (gF). We obtained four MSs (labeled A, B, C and D) through EEG microstate analysis. EEG MS characteristics including traditional features (the global explained variances, mean durations, coverages, occurrences and transition probabilities), the Hurst exponents and temporal dynamic features (the autocorrelation functions and the partial autocorrelation functions) were calculated and evaluated. The data with a duration greater than 2 min showed moderate to high reliability and individual specificity. The mean duration and coverage of MS C were significantly correlated with the gF score. The dynamic features showed a higher identification accuracy and were more significantly correlated with gF than the traditional MS features. These findings reveal that EEG microstate characteristics are reliably unique in single subjects and possess abundant inter-individual variability.}, }
@article {pmid32463251, year = {2020}, author = {Brecht, KF and Müller, J and Nieder, A}, title = {Carrion crows (Corvus corone corone) fail the mirror mark test yet again.}, journal = {Journal of comparative psychology (Washington, D.C. : 1983)}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1037/com0000231}, pmid = {32463251}, issn = {1939-2087}, support = {//Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft/ ; }, abstract = {The mirror mark test is generally considered to be an indicator of an animal's ability to recognize itself in the mirror. For this test, an animal is confronted with a mirror and has a mark placed where it can see the mark only with the help of the mirror. When the animal extensively touches or interacts with the mark, compared with control conditions, the mirror mark test is passed. Many nonhuman animal species have been tested, but few have succeeded. After magpies and Indian house crows passed, there has been a sustained interest to find out whether other corvids would pass the mirror mark test. Here, we presented 12 carrion crows (Corvus corone corone) with the mirror mark test. There was no significant increase of mark-directed behavior in the mirror mark test, compared with control conditions. We find very few occasions of mark-directed behaviors and have to interpret them in the context of self-directed behavior more generally. In addition, we show that our crows were motivated to interact with a mark when it was visible to them without the aid of a mirror. We conclude that our crows fail the test, and thereby replicate previous studies showing a similar failure in corvids, and crows in particular. Because our study adds to the growing literature of corvids failing the mirror mark test, the issue of mirror self-recognition in these birds remains controversial. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).}, }
@article {pmid32437410, year = {2020}, author = {Clarke, MJ and Fraser, EE and Warkentin, IG}, title = {Fine spatial-scale variation in scavenger activity influences avian mortality assessments on a boreal island.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {15}, number = {5}, pages = {e0233427}, pmid = {32437410}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; *Behavior, Animal ; Coleoptera ; *Ecosystem ; *Feeding Behavior ; Forests ; *Islands ; Newfoundland and Labrador ; *Songbirds ; }, abstract = {Bird-window collisions are the second leading cause of human-related avian mortality for songbirds in Canada. Our ability to accurately estimate the number of fatalities caused by window collisions is affected by several biases, including the removal of carcasses by scavengers prior to those carcasses being detected during surveys. We investigated the role of scavenger behavior in modifying perceived carcass removal rate while describing habitat-specific differences for the scavengers present in a relatively scavenger-depauperate island ecosystem. We used motion activated cameras to monitor the fate of hatchling chicken carcasses placed at building (under both windows and windowless walls) and forest (open and closed canopy) sites in western Newfoundland, Canada. We recorded the identity of scavengers, timing of events, and frequency of repeat scavenging at sites. Using 2 treatments, we also assessed how scavenging varied with 2 levels of carcass availability (daily versus every third day). Scavenger activities differed substantially between forest and building sites. Only common ravens (Corvus corax) removed carcasses at building sites, with 25 of 26 removals occurring under windows. Burying beetles (Nicrophorus spp.) dominated scavenging at forest sites (14 of 18 removals), completely removing carcasses from sight in under 24 hours. Availability had no effect on removal rate. These findings suggest that ravens look for carcasses near building windows, where bird-window collision fatalities create predictable food sources, but that this learning preceded the study. Such behavior resulted in highly heterogeneous scavenging rates at fine spatial scales indicating the need for careful consideration of carcass and camera placement when monitoring scavenger activity. Our observations of burying beetle activity indicate that future studies investigating bird collision mortality near forested habitats and with infrequent surveys, should consider local invertebrate community composition during survey design. The high incidence of invertebrate scavenging may compensate for the reduced vertebrate scavenger community of insular Newfoundland.}, }
@article {pmid32406720, year = {2020}, author = {Soler, M and Colmenero, JM and Pérez-Contreras, T and Peralta-Sánchez, JM}, title = {Replication of the mirror mark test experiment in the magpie (Pica pica) does not provide evidence of self-recognition.}, journal = {Journal of comparative psychology (Washington, D.C. : 1983)}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1037/com0000223}, pmid = {32406720}, issn = {1939-2087}, support = {//Junta de Andalucía/ ; }, abstract = {Self-recognition in animals is demonstrated when individuals pass the mark test. Formerly, it was thought that self-recognition was restricted to humans, great apes, and certain mammals with large brains and highly evolved social cognition. However, 1 study showed that 2 out of 5 magpies (Pica pica) passed the mark test, suggesting that magpies have a similar level of cognitive abilities to great apes. The scientific advancement depends on confidence in published science, and this confidence can be reached only after rigorous replication of published studies. Here, we present a close replication of the magpie study but using a larger sample size while following a very similar experimental protocol. Like the previous study, in our experiment, magpies showed both social and self-directed behavior more frequently in front of the mirror versus a control cardboard stimulus. However, during the mark test, self-directed behavior proved more frequent in front of the cardboard than in the mirror. Thus, our replication failed to confirm the previous results. Close replications, while not disproving an earlier study, identify results that should be considered with caution. Therefore, more replication studies and additional experimental work is needed to unambiguously demonstrate that magpies are consistently able to pass the mark test. The existence of compelling evidence of self-recognition in other corvid species is discussed in depth. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).}, }
@article {pmid32384666, year = {2020}, author = {Myszkowski, N}, title = {A Mokken Scale Analysis of the Last Series of the Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM-LS).}, journal = {Journal of Intelligence}, volume = {8}, number = {2}, pages = {}, pmid = {32384666}, issn = {2079-3200}, abstract = {Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices Raven (1941) is a widely used 60-item long measure of general mental ability. It was recently suggested that, for situations where taking this test is too time consuming, a shorter version, comprised of only the last series of the Standard Progressive Matrices (the SPM-LS; Myszkowski and Storme (2018)) could be used, while preserving satisfactory psychometric properties Garcia-Garzon et al. (2019); Myszkowski and Storme (2018). In this study, I argue, however, that some psychometric properties have been left aside by previous investigations. As part of this special issue on the reinvestigation of Myszkowski and Storme's dataset, I propose to use the non-parametric Item Response Theory framework of Mokken Scale Analysis Mokken (1971, 1997) and its current developments Sijtsma and van der Ark (2017) to shed new light on the SPM-LS. Extending previous findings, this investigation indicated that the SPM-LS had satisfactory scalability (H = 0 . 469), local independence and reliability (M S = 0 . 841 , L C R C = 0 . 874). Further, all item response functions were monotonically increasing, and there was overall evidence for invariant item ordering (H T = 0 . 475), supporting the Double Monotonicity Model Mokken (1997). Item 1, however, appeared problematic in most analyses. I discuss the implications of these results, notably regarding whether to discard item 1, whether the SPM-LS sum scores can confidently be used to order persons, and whether the invariant item ordering of the SPM-LS allows to use a stopping rule to further shorten test administration.}, }
@article {pmid32384646, year = {2020}, author = {Partchev, I}, title = {Diagnosing a 12-Item Dataset of Raven Matrices: With Dexter.}, journal = {Journal of Intelligence}, volume = {8}, number = {2}, pages = {}, pmid = {32384646}, issn = {2079-3200}, abstract = {We analyze a 12-item version of Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices test, traditionally scored with the sum score. We discuss some important differences between assessment in practice and psychometric modelling. We demonstrate some advanced diagnostic tools in the freely available R package, dexter. We find that the first item in the test functions badly-at a guess, because the subjects were not given exercise items before the live test.}, }
@article {pmid32372855, year = {2020}, author = {Gill, LF and van Schaik, J and von Bayern, AMP and Gahr, ML}, title = {Genetic monogamy despite frequent extrapair copulations in "strictly monogamous" wild jackdaws.}, journal = {Behavioral ecology : official journal of the International Society for Behavioral Ecology}, volume = {31}, number = {1}, pages = {247-260}, pmid = {32372855}, issn = {1045-2249}, abstract = {"Monogamy" refers to different components of pair exclusiveness: the social pair, sexual partners, and the genetic outcome of sexual encounters. Avian monogamy is usually defined socially or genetically, whereas quantifications of sexual behavior remain scarce. Jackdaws (Corvus monedula) are considered a rare example of strict monogamy in songbirds, with lifelong pair bonds and little genetic evidence for extrapair (EP) offspring. Yet jackdaw copulations, although accompanied by loud copulation calls, are rarely observed because they occur visually concealed inside nest cavities. Using full-day nest-box video surveillance and on-bird acoustic bio-logging, we directly observed jackdaw sexual behavior and compared it to the corresponding genetic outcome obtained via molecular parentage analysis. In the video-observed nests, we found genetic monogamy but frequently detected forced EP sexual behavior, accompanied by characteristic male copulation calls. We, thus, challenge the long-held notion of strict jackdaw monogamy at the sexual level. Our data suggest that male mate guarding and frequent intrapair copulations during the female fertile phase, as well as the forced nature of the copulations, could explain the absence of EP offspring. Because EP copulation behavior appeared to be costly for both sexes, we suggest that immediate fitness benefits are an unlikely explanation for its prevalence. Instead, sexual conflict and dominance effects could interact to shape the spatiotemporal pattern of EP sexual behavior in this species. Our results call for larger-scale investigations of jackdaw sexual behavior and parentage and highlight the importance of combining social, sexual, and genetic data sets for a more complete understanding of mating systems.}, }
@article {pmid32369021, year = {2020}, author = {Huber, S and Welham Ruiters, M and Syring, C and Steiner, A}, title = {[Improvement of claw health of cattle in Switzerland].}, journal = {Schweizer Archiv fur Tierheilkunde}, volume = {162}, number = {5}, pages = {285-292}, doi = {10.17236/sat00257}, pmid = {32369021}, issn = {1664-2848}, mesh = {Animal Husbandry/*methods/trends ; Animals ; Cattle ; Cattle Diseases/epidemiology/*prevention &amp; control ; Foot Diseases/prevention &amp; control/veterinary ; *Hoof and Claw ; Switzerland/epidemiology ; }, abstract = {INTRODUCTION: The modern technique of cattle hoof care was founded by E. Toussaint Raven in 1977. Environmental risk factors on cattle claws altered in the past 43 years. The change from free ranging to indoor housing, the intensified feeding and the breeding towards traits of high performance have significantly increased the mechanical and chemical stress on the claws. In modern free-stalls, dairy cows are required to walk on hard flooring to feed, drink and get milked. Good hoof health is a basic requirement for cattle welfare. Professional and regular hoof trimming is still considered the most effective measure to promote hoof health in dairy cattle. In order to meet today's requirements and to promote claw health, the Swiss Hoof Trimmers Association (SKV), in collaboration with the Vetsuisse faculties, Universities of Berne and Zurich, and the Bovine Health Service (RGD, Bern) developed and described the Swiss technique of functional claw trimming. The aim was to establish a consistent method, which takes into account the size and bodyweight of the modern cow, the anatomical and physiological characteristics of their claws and includes adaptations counteracting very relevant diseases such as digital dermatitis. The result is a workflow described and illustrated with coloured pictures and consisting of five individual steps based on the technique of E. Toussaint Raven, Additionally, the upcoming Swiss national resource project on long-term improvement of claw health is presented in some detail. The key point of this project is the electronic documentation of clinical findings by the trained professional claw trimmers. This data will later (i) be used to assess the foot health of Swiss cows, (ii) allow to determine the prevalence of foot diseases of cattle in Switzerland and (iii) to monitor the effect of the implementation of foot health concepts. The aim of this work is to combine the findings from science and the practical experience of hoof trimmers in one method, to standardize the applied hoof care in Switzerland and to adapt it to today's hoof health requirements.}, }
@article {pmid32365814, year = {2020}, author = {Mancianti, F and Terracciano, G and Sorichetti, C and Vecchio, G and Scarselli, D and Perrucci, S}, title = {Epidemiologic Survey on Toxoplasma gondii and Trichinella pseudospiralis Infection in Corvids from Central Italy.}, journal = {Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland)}, volume = {9}, number = {5}, pages = {}, pmid = {32365814}, issn = {2076-0817}, abstract = {Free-ranging corvids-678 magpies (Pica pica) and 120 hooded crows (Corvus cornix) from nine protected areas of the Pisa province (central Italy)-were examined for Toxoplasma gondii and Trichinella pseudospiralis. The intracardiac blood clots from 651 magpies and 120 hooded crows were serologically examined for T. gondii. The DNA extracted from the hearts of seropositive birds was then used to perform a nested PCR for the amplification of the T. gondii B1 gene and for genotyping for SAG genetic markers. Breast muscle samples from 678 magpies and 91 hooded crows were tested by an artificial digestion method for Trichinella. Data were statistically analyzed. Forty-five (5.8%-41 magpies and four hooded crows) out of the 771 examined animals scored seropositive for T. gondii, with titers ranging from 1:25 to 1:100. T. gondii DNA was detected in 15 of the 45 positive birds and T. gondii genotypes II and III were identified. No positivity for T. pseudospiralis was found. No significant differences between the two species of corvids and among the different areas of origin were observed for seropositivity to T. gondii. This is the first extensive study on both T. gondii and T. pseudospiralis in magpies and hooded crows, as well as the first detection of T. gondii SAG genotypes in magpies.}, }
@article {pmid32364805, year = {2020}, author = {Carr, J and Stone, R and Tymko, C and Tymko, K and Coombs, GB and Hoiland, RL and Howe, CA and Tymko, MM and Ainslie, PN and Patrician, A}, title = {Global REACH 2018: The Effect of an Expiratory Resistance Mask with Dead Space on Sleep and Acute Mountain Sickness During Acute Exposure to Hypobaric Hypoxia.}, journal = {High altitude medicine &amp; biology}, volume = {21}, number = {3}, pages = {297-302}, doi = {10.1089/ham.2019.0124}, pmid = {32364805}, issn = {1557-8682}, mesh = {Altitude ; *Altitude Sickness ; Humans ; Hypoxia ; Peru ; Sleep ; }, abstract = {Carr, Jay, Rachel Stone, Courtney Tymko, Kaitlyn Tymko, Geoff B. Coombs, Ryan L. Hoiland, Connor A. Howe, Michael M. Tymko, Philip N. Ainslie, and Alexander Patrician. Global REACH 2018: the effect of an expiratory resistance mask with dead space on sleep and acute mountain sickness during acute exposure to hypobaric hypoxia. High Alt Med Biol. 21:297-302, 2020. We hypothesized that an expiratory resistance and dead space (ER/DS) mask, a version of which was previously shown to partially alleviate sleep-disordered breathing and headache severity during acute normobaric hypoxia (Patrician et al.), would exhibit similar results in conditions of hypobaric hypoxia. In a randomized, single-blinded, sham-controlled, and sex-matched design, 31 healthy lowlanders rapidly (6-8 hours) ascended from sea level to 4300 m (Cerro de Pasco, Peru) and slept with either an ER/DS mask (n = 15) or sham mask (n = 16). Sleep was assessed (via WatchPAT) and questionnaires collected before sleep and upon waking the morning after. There was no difference in apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) between the ER/DS (77 ± 20 events/h) or sham mask (84 ± 27 events/h; p = 0.57). In addition, there was no alleviation of headache scores, improvement in sleep quality, or acute mountain sickness symptom severity. Both the sham and ER/DS masks were poorly tolerated (∼50% subject noncompliance in both groups). These findings highlight the importance and necessity of field-testing and demonstrate that more testing is needed before ER/DS devices, such as these, can be recommended for prophylactic benefits at high altitude.}, }
@article {pmid32364781, year = {2020}, author = {Martínez, JG and Molina-Morales, M and Precioso, M and Avilés, JM}, title = {Age-Related Brood Parasitism and Egg Rejection in Magpie Hosts.}, journal = {The American naturalist}, volume = {195}, number = {5}, pages = {876-885}, doi = {10.1086/708155}, pmid = {32364781}, issn = {1537-5323}, mesh = {Age Factors ; Animals ; *Host-Parasite Interactions ; *Nesting Behavior ; Ovum ; Rejection, Psychology ; *Reproduction ; Songbirds/*physiology ; }, abstract = {When the strength or nature of a host-parasite interaction changes over the host life cycle, the consequences of parasitism can depend on host population age structure. Avian brood parasites reduce hosts' breeding success, and host age may play a role in this interaction if younger hosts are more likely parasitized and/or less able to defend themselves. We analyzed whether the age of female magpie (Pica pica) hosts is associated with parasite attack or their ability to reject foreign eggs. We recorded parasitism and model egg rejection of known-age individuals over their lifetime and established whether the likelihood of parasitism or egg rejection changed with age or longevity. Parasitism probability did not change with female age, and there was a trend toward longer-lived females being less likely to be parasitized. However, model egg rejection probability increased with age for each individual female, and longer-lived females were more prone to reject model eggs. Most females in the population were young, and the majority of them accepted model eggs, suggesting that brood parasites exploiting younger host individuals are benefitting from a lower defense level of their hosts. Our results stress that the intensity of selection by brood parasites may be mediated by the age structure of host populations, a to-date neglected aspect in brood parasite-host research.}, }
@article {pmid32330422, year = {2020}, author = {Ksepka, DT and Balanoff, AM and Smith, NA and Bever, GS and Bhullar, BS and Bourdon, E and Braun, EL and Burleigh, JG and Clarke, JA and Colbert, MW and Corfield, JR and Degrange, FJ and De Pietri, VL and Early, CM and Field, DJ and Gignac, PM and Gold, MEL and Kimball, RT and Kawabe, S and Lefebvre, L and Marugán-Lobón, J and Mongle, CS and Morhardt, A and Norell, MA and Ridgely, RC and Rothman, RS and Scofield, RP and Tambussi, CP and Torres, CR and van Tuinen, M and Walsh, SA and Watanabe, A and Witmer, LM and Wright, AK and Zanno, LE and Jarvis, ED and Smaers, JB}, title = {Tempo and Pattern of Avian Brain Size Evolution.}, journal = {Current biology : CB}, volume = {30}, number = {11}, pages = {2026-2036.e3}, doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2020.03.060}, pmid = {32330422}, issn = {1879-0445}, support = {MR/S032177/1/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; /HHMI/Howard Hughes Medical Institute/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Birds/*anatomy &amp; histology/*genetics ; Brain/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Organ Size ; }, abstract = {Relative brain sizes in birds can rival those of primates, but large-scale patterns and drivers of avian brain evolution remain elusive. Here, we explore the evolution of the fundamental brain-body scaling relationship across the origin and evolution of birds. Using a comprehensive dataset sampling> 2,000 modern birds, fossil birds, and theropod dinosaurs, we infer patterns of brain-body co-variation in deep time. Our study confirms that no significant increase in relative brain size accompanied the trend toward miniaturization or evolution of flight during the theropod-bird transition. Critically, however, theropods and basal birds show weaker integration between brain size and body size, allowing for rapid changes in the brain-body relationship that set the stage for dramatic shifts in early crown birds. We infer that major shifts occurred rapidly in the aftermath of the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction within Neoaves, in which multiple clades achieved higher relative brain sizes because of a reduction in body size. Parrots and corvids achieved the largest brains observed in birds via markedly different patterns. Parrots primarily reduced their body size, whereas corvids increased body and brain size simultaneously (with rates of brain size evolution outpacing rates of body size evolution). Collectively, these patterns suggest that an early adaptive radiation in brain size laid the foundation for subsequent selection and stabilization.}, }
@article {pmid32327926, year = {2020}, author = {Hoch, PC and Gandhi, K}, title = {Nomenclatural changes in Onagraceae.}, journal = {PhytoKeys}, volume = {145}, number = {}, pages = {57-62}, pmid = {32327926}, issn = {1314-2011}, abstract = {A new subspecies and two new combinations are proposed in Onagraceae. Ludwigia glandulosa Walter subsp. brachycarpa C.-I Peng, subsp. nov. is morphologically distinct from the typical subspecies, with smaller capsules and leaves, different seed coat, and a restricted distribution. Epilobium sect. Pachydium (Fischer &amp; C. A. Meyer) Hoch &amp; K. Gandhi, comb. nov. refers to a distinctive group of species formerly known as Boisduvalia Spach and as Epilobium sect. Boisduvalia (Spach) Hoch &amp; P. H. Raven. And Chamaenerion speciosum (Decaisne) Hoch &amp; K. Gandhi, comb. nov. is proposed for a distinctive Himalayan species originally described in Epilobium.}, }
@article {pmid34616929, year = {2021}, author = {Yang, C and Huang, J and Liang, W and Møller, AP}, title = {Absence of anti-parasitic defenses in an Asian population of the magpie, a regular host of the great spotted cuckoo in Europe.}, journal = {Current zoology}, volume = {67}, number = {3}, pages = {345-347}, pmid = {34616929}, issn = {1674-5507}, }
@article {pmid32230117, year = {2020}, author = {Hernandes, FA}, title = {A review of the feather mite family Gabuciniidae Gaud amp; Atyeo (Acariformes: Astigmata: Pterolichoidea) of Brazil, with descriptions of eleven new species.}, journal = {Zootaxa}, volume = {4747}, number = {1}, pages = {zootaxa.4747.1.1}, doi = {10.11646/zootaxa.4747.1.1}, pmid = {32230117}, issn = {1175-5334}, mesh = {Animals ; *Bird Diseases ; Brazil ; *Mite Infestations ; *Mites ; *Passeriformes ; }, abstract = {The feather mite family Gabuciniidae currently includes 16 genera and approximately 65 described species associated with birds of nine orders, with the greatest diversity on Accipitriformes. In this study, 11 new species are described from the following hosts: Aetacarus accipiter sp. nov. from the Bicolored Hawk Accipiter bicolor (Vieillot, 1817) (Accipitriformes: Accipitridae), Capitolichus campoflicker sp. nov. from the Campo Flicker Colaptes campestris (Vieillot, 1818) (Piciformes: Picidae), Coraciacarus cabure sp. nov. from the Barred Forest-falcon Micrastur ruficollis (Vieillot, 1817) (Falconiformes: Falconidae), Coraciacarus peixefrito sp. nov. from the Pheasant Cuckoo Dromococcyx phasianellus (Spix, 1824) (Cuculiformes: Cuculidae), Gabucinia neotropica sp. nov. from the Curl-crested Jay Cyanocorax cristatellus (Temminck, 1823) (type host) and C. chrysops (Vieillot, 1818) (Passeriformes: Corvidae), Hieracolichus caboclo sp. nov. from the Savanna Hawk Buteogallus meridionalis (Latham, 1790) (Accipitriformes: Accipitridae), Hieracolichus falcon sp. nov. from the Southern Caracara Caracara plancus (Miller, 1777) (Falconiformes: Falconidae), Piciformobia adjuncta sp. nov. from the Guira Cuckoo Guira guira (Gmelin, 1788) (Cuculiformes: Cuculidae), Proaposolenidia bicolor sp. nov. from the Bicolored Hawk Accipiter bicolor (Vieillot, 1817) (Accipitriformes: Accipitridae), Proaposolenidia plumbea sp. nov. from the Plumbeous Kite Ictinia plumbea (Gmelin, 1788) (Accipitriformes: Accipitridae), and Tocolichus toco sp. nov. from the Toco Toucan Ramphastos toco Statius Müller, 1776 (Piciformes: Ramphastidae). In addition, two new combinations are proposed, Proaposolenidia ostoda (Gaud, 1983) comb. nov. and Aetacarus hirundo (Mégnin Trouessart, 1884) comb. nov., both transferred from the genus Hieracolichus. With the addition of these new species, the number of gabuciniids described from the Neotropical region has increased from 14 to 25 species. These findings indicate that Brazil is home to a large diversity of undescribed gabuciniids, which is not surprising considering the vast bird fauna of this country, and especially since most avian species from Brazil have yet to be investigated for their feather mites.}, }
@article {pmid32220399, year = {2020}, author = {Souza, IR and Pansani, TN and Basso, FG and Hebling, J and de Souza Costa, CA}, title = {Cytotoxicity of acrylic resin-based materials used to fabricate interim crowns.}, journal = {The Journal of prosthetic dentistry}, volume = {124}, number = {1}, pages = {122.e1-122.e9}, doi = {10.1016/j.prosdent.2020.01.030}, pmid = {32220399}, issn = {1097-6841}, mesh = {*Acrylic Resins ; Composite Resins ; Computer-Aided Design ; *Crowns ; Dental Materials ; Materials Testing ; Surface Properties ; }, abstract = {STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: If the components in the acrylic resins used to fabricate interim crows are cytotoxic, they can interfere with the integrity of the adjacent periodontal tissue and the dentin-pulp complex.<br><br>PURPOSE: The purpose of this in vitro study was to assess the cytotoxicity of resin-based materials used to prepare interim crowns.<br><br>MATERIAL AND METHODS: The following materials were used in this study: CAR, conventional acrylic resin powder and liquid; BR, bis-acrylic resin; and PAR, pressed acrylic resin of the CAD-CAM type. Glass disks were used as the control (Co). Oral epithelial cells (NOK) were seeded on glass disks and standardized disks prepared with the resins under study. After incubation for 24 hours, the cells were analyzed for viability (Alamar Blue and Live or Dead), adhesion, and morphology (SEM and fluorescence), as well as epidermal growth factor synthesis (EGF-ELISA). The surface roughness (Ra) of test specimens was evaluated under a confocal microscope. The data were submitted to ANOVA and the Tukey HSD statistical tests (α=.05).<br><br>RESULTS: The highest Ra value was observed in BR in comparison with CAR, PAR, and Co (P<.05). The highest viability, adhesion, and EGF synthesis values were determined for the cells in contact with PAR (P<.001).<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM)-type resin favored adhesion, metabolism, and epithelial cell proliferation, and it was therefore considered cytocompatible.}, }
@article {pmid32219010, year = {2019}, author = {Wang, Y and Shen, Y and Liu, Z and Liang, PP and Zadeh, A and Morency, LP}, title = {Words Can Shift: Dynamically Adjusting Word Representations Using Nonverbal Behaviors.}, journal = {Proceedings of the ... AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence. AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence}, volume = {33}, number = {1}, pages = {7216-7223}, pmid = {32219010}, issn = {2159-5399}, support = {R01 MH096951/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; }, abstract = {Humans convey their intentions through the usage of both verbal and nonverbal behaviors during face-to-face communication. Speaker intentions often vary dynamically depending on different nonverbal contexts, such as vocal patterns and facial expressions. As a result, when modeling human language, it is essential to not only consider the literal meaning of the words but also the nonverbal contexts in which these words appear. To better model human language, we first model expressive nonverbal representations by analyzing the fine-grained visual and acoustic patterns that occur during word segments. In addition, we seek to capture the dynamic nature of nonverbal intents by shifting word representations based on the accompanying nonverbal behaviors. To this end, we propose the Recurrent Attended Variation Embedding Network (RAVEN) that models the fine-grained structure of nonverbal subword sequences and dynamically shifts word representations based on nonverbal cues. Our proposed model achieves competitive performance on two publicly available datasets for multimodal sentiment analysis and emotion recognition. We also visualize the shifted word representations in different nonverbal contexts and summarize common patterns regarding multimodal variations of word representations.}, }
@article {pmid32206923, year = {2020}, author = {Lambert, ML and Osvath, M}, title = {Investigating information seeking in ravens (Corvus corax).}, journal = {Animal cognition}, volume = {23}, number = {4}, pages = {671-680}, pmid = {32206923}, issn = {1435-9456}, mesh = {Animals ; Cebus ; *Crows ; Information Seeking Behavior ; Macaca ; *Metacognition ; }, abstract = {Measuring the responses of non-human animals to situations of uncertainty is thought to shed light on an animal's metacognitive processes; namely, whether they monitor their own knowledge states. For example, when presented with a foraging task, great apes and macaques selectively seek information about the location of a food item when they have not seen where it was hidden, compared to when they have. We presented this same information seeking task to ravens, in which a food item was hidden in one of three containers, and subjects could either watch where the food was hidden, infer its location through visual or auditory clues, or were given no information. We found that unlike several ape species and macaques, but similar to capuchin monkeys, the ravens looked inside at least one tube on every trial, but typically only once, inside the baited tube, when they had either witnessed it being baited or could visually infer the reward's location. In contrast, subjects looked more often within trials in which they had not witnessed the baiting or were provided with auditory cues about the reward's location. Several potential explanations for these ceiling levels of looking are discussed, including how it may relate to the uncertainty faced by ravens when retrieving food caches.}, }
@article {pmid32201438, year = {2020}, author = {Gallego-Abenza, M and Loretto, MC and Bugnyar, T}, title = {Decision time modulates social foraging success in wild common ravens, Corvus corax.}, journal = {Ethology : formerly Zeitschrift fur Tierpsychologie}, volume = {126}, number = {4}, pages = {413-422}, pmid = {32201438}, issn = {0179-1613}, support = {P 29705/FWF_/Austrian Science Fund FWF/Austria ; }, abstract = {Social foraging provides several benefits for individuals but also bears the potential costs of higher competition. In some species, such competition arises through kleptoparasitism, that is when an animal takes food which was caught or collected by a member of its social group. Except in the context of caching, few studies have investigated how individuals avoid kleptoparasitism, which could be based on physical strength/dominance but also cognitive skills. Here, we investigated the foraging success of wild common ravens, Corvus corax, experiencing high levels of kleptoparasitism from conspecifics when snatching food from the daily feedings of captive wild boars in a game park in the Austrian Alps. Success in keeping the food depended mainly on the individuals' age class and was positively correlated with the time to make a decision in whether to fly off with food or consume it on site. While the effect of age class suggests that dominant and/or experienced individuals are better in avoiding kleptoparasitism, the effect of decision time indicates that individuals benefit from applying cognition to such decision-making, independently of age class. We discuss our findings in the context of the ecological and social intelligence hypotheses referring to the development of cognitive abilities. We conclude that investigating which factors underline kleptoparasitism avoidance is a promising scenario to test specific predictions derived from these hypotheses.}, }
@article {pmid32178710, year = {2020}, author = {England, ME and Pearce-Kelly, P and Brugman, VA and King, S and Gubbins, S and Sach, F and Sanders, CJ and Masters, NJ and Denison, E and Carpenter, S}, title = {Culicoides species composition and molecular identification of host blood meals at two zoos in the UK.}, journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors}, volume = {13}, number = {1}, pages = {139}, pmid = {32178710}, issn = {1756-3305}, support = {BBS/E/I/00007039/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; BBS/E/I/00007033/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; BBS/E/I/00007038/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Animals, Zoo/*blood ; Ceratopogonidae/*classification ; *Feeding Behavior ; Female ; Insect Vectors/classification ; Male ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; United Kingdom ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Culicoides biting midges are biological vectors of arboviruses including bluetongue virus (BTV), Schmallenberg virus (SBV) and African horse sickness virus (AHSV). Zoos are home to a wide range of 'at risk' exotic and native species of animals. These animals have a high value both in monetary terms, conservation significance and breeding potential. To understand the risk these viruses pose to zoo animals, it is necessary to characterise the Culicoides fauna at zoos and determine which potential vector species are feeding on which hosts.<br><br>METHODS: Light-suction traps were used at two UK zoos: the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) London Zoo (LZ) and ZSL Whipsnade Zoo (WZ). Traps were run one night each week from June 2014 to June 2015. Culicoides were morphologically identified to the species level and any blood-fed Culicoides were processed for blood-meal analysis. DNA from blood meals was extracted and amplified using previously published primers. Sequencing was then carried out to determine the host species.<br><br>RESULTS: A total of 11,648 Culicoides were trapped and identified (n = 5880 from ZSL WZ; n = 5768 from ZSL LZ), constituting 25 different species. The six putative vectors of BTV, SBV and AHSV in northern Europe were found at both zoos and made up the majority of the total catch (n = 10,701). A total of 31 host sequences were obtained from blood-fed Culicoides. Culicoides obsoletus/C. scoticus, Culicoides dewulfi, Culicoides parroti and Culicoides punctatus were found to be biting a wide range of mammals including Bactrian camels, Indian rhinoceros, Asian elephants and humans, with Culicoides obsoletus/C. scoticus also biting Darwin's rhea. The bird-biting species, Culicoides achrayi, was found to be feeding on blackbirds, blue tits, magpies and carrion crows.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first study to directly confirm blood-feeding of Culicoides on exotic zoo animals in the UK and shows that they are able to utilise a wide range of exotic as well as native host species. Due to the susceptibility of some zoo animals to Culicoides-borne arboviruses, this study demonstrates that in the event of an outbreak of one of these viruses in the UK, preventative and mitigating measures would need to be taken.}, }
@article {pmid32173692, year = {2020}, author = {Hagiwara, K and Nakaya, T and Onuma, M}, title = {Characterization of Myxovirus resistance protein in birds showing different susceptibilities to highly pathogenic influenza virus.}, journal = {The Journal of veterinary medical science}, volume = {82}, number = {5}, pages = {619-625}, pmid = {32173692}, issn = {1347-7439}, mesh = {3T3 Cells ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Birds ; Cells, Cultured ; Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype/growth &amp; development/*immunology ; Influenza in Birds/*immunology/virology ; Mice ; Myxovirus Resistance Proteins/*chemistry/genetics/*metabolism ; Protein Conformation ; RNA, Viral ; Species Specificity ; }, abstract = {We compared the Mx expression and anti-viral function and the 3D structure of Mx protein in four species: chicken (Gallus gallus), whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus), jungle crow (Corvus macrorhynchos), and rock dove (Columba livia). We observed different mortalities associated with highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) infection to understand the relationship between Mx function as an immune response factor and HPAIV proliferation in bird cells. Different levels of Mx were observed among the different bird species after virus infection. Strong Mx expression was confirmed in the rock dove and whooper swan 6 hr after viral infection. The lowest virus copy numbers were observed in rock dove. The virus infectivity was significantly reduced in the BALB/3T3 cells expressing rock dove and jungle crow Mx. These results suggested that high Mx expression and significant Mx-induced anti-viral effects might result in the rock dove primary cells having the lowest virus copy number. Comparison of the expected 3D structure of Mx protein in all four bird species demonstrated that the structure of loop L4 varied among the investigated species. It was reported that differences in amino acid sequence in loop L4 affect antiviral activity in human and mouse cells, and a significant anti-viral effect was observed in the rock dove Mx. Thus, the amino acid sequence of loop L4 in rock dove might represent relatively high anti-viral activity.}, }
@article {pmid32163947, year = {2020}, author = {Kumar, RR and Wu, X and Tsang, HK}, title = {Compact high-extinction tunable CROW filters for integrated quantum photonic circuits.}, journal = {Optics letters}, volume = {45}, number = {6}, pages = {1289-1292}, doi = {10.1364/OL.384187}, pmid = {32163947}, issn = {1539-4794}, abstract = {We describe the use of cascaded second-order coupled-resonator optical waveguide (CROW) tunable filters to achieve one of the highest reported measured extinction ratios of $ {\gt} {110}\;{\rm dB}$>110dB. The CROW filters were used to remove the pump photons in spontaneous four-wave mixing (SFWM) in a silicon waveguide. The SFWM generated quantum-correlated photons that could be measured after the cascaded CROW filters. The CROW filters offer a compact footprint for use in monolithic quantum photonic circuits.}, }
@article {pmid32162489, year = {2020}, author = {Wöhnke, E and Vasic, A and Raileanu, C and Holicki, CM and Tews, BA and Silaghi, C}, title = {Comparison of vector competence of Aedes vexans Green River and Culex pipiens biotype pipiens for West Nile virus lineages 1 and 2.}, journal = {Zoonoses and public health}, volume = {67}, number = {4}, pages = {416-424}, doi = {10.1111/zph.12700}, pmid = {32162489}, issn = {1863-2378}, mesh = {*Aedes ; Animals ; Chlorocebus aethiops ; *Culex ; Host-Pathogen Interactions ; Mosquito Vectors/*virology ; Vero Cells ; West Nile virus/*classification/*physiology ; }, abstract = {West Nile virus (WNV), a zoonotic arbovirus, has recently established an autochthonous transmission cycle in Germany. In dead-end hosts like humans and horses the WNV infection may cause severe symptoms in the central nervous system. In nature, WNV is maintained in an enzootic transmission cycle between birds and ornithophilic mosquitoes. Bridge vector species, such as members of the Culex pipiens complex and Aedes spp., also widely distributed in Germany, might transmit WNV to other vertebrate host species. This study determined and compared the vector competence of field-collected northern-German Cx. pipiens biotype pipiens and laboratory-reared Ae. vexans Green River (GR) for WNV lineage 1 (strain: Magpie/Italy/203204) and WNV lineage 2 (strain: "Austria") under temperatures typical for northern Germany in spring/summer and autumn. For assessment of vector competence, 7- to 14-day-old female mosquitoes were offered a WNV containing blood meal via Hemotek membrane feeding system or cotton-stick feeding. After incubation at 18°C respectively 24°C for 14 days engorged female mosquitoes were salivated and dissected for determination of infection, dissemination and transmission rates by reverse transcriptase quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR). Both Ae. vexans GR and Cx. pipiens biotype pipiens were infected with both tested WNV strains and tested 14 days post-inoculation. Disseminated infections were detected only in Ae. vexans GR incubated at 18°C and in Cx. pipiens pipiens incubated at 24°C after infection with WNV lineage 1. Transmission of WNV lineage 1 was detected in Cx. pipiens pipiens incubated at 24°C. These results indicate that Cx. pipiens pipiens from Northern Germany may be involved in the transmission of WNV, also to dead-end hosts like humans and horses.}, }
@article {pmid32162454, year = {2020}, author = {Grunberger, G}, title = {Continuous glucose monitoring: Musing on our progress in memory of Dr Andrew Jay Drexler.}, journal = {Journal of diabetes}, volume = {12}, number = {10}, pages = {772-774}, doi = {10.1111/1753-0407.13032}, pmid = {32162454}, issn = {1753-0407}, mesh = {Blood Glucose Self-Monitoring/*trends ; Humans ; Wearable Electronic Devices/*trends ; }, }
@article {pmid32160191, year = {2020}, author = {Miller, R and Gruber, R and Frohnwieser, A and Schiestl, M and Jelbert, SA and Gray, RD and Boeckle, M and Taylor, AH and Clayton, NS}, title = {Decision-making flexibility in New Caledonian crows, young children and adult humans in a multi-dimensional tool-use task.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {15}, number = {3}, pages = {e0219874}, pmid = {32160191}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; Child, Preschool ; Cockatoos/physiology ; Crows/*physiology ; *Decision Making ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Pongo/physiology ; *Task Performance and Analysis ; *Tool Use Behavior ; }, abstract = {The ability to make profitable decisions in natural foraging contexts may be influenced by an additional requirement of tool-use, due to increased levels of relational complexity and additional work-effort imposed by tool-use, compared with simply choosing between an immediate and delayed food item. We examined the flexibility for making the most profitable decisions in a multi-dimensional tool-use task, involving different apparatuses, tools and rewards of varying quality, in 3-5-year-old children, adult humans and tool-making New Caledonian crows (Corvus moneduloides). We also compared our results to previous studies on habitually tool-making orangutans (Pongo abelii) and non-tool-making Goffin's cockatoos (Cacatua goffiniana). Adult humans, cockatoos and crows, but not children and orangutans, did not select a tool when it was not necessary, which was the more profitable choice in this situation. Adult humans, orangutans and cockatoos, but not crows and children, were able to refrain from selecting non-functional tools. By contrast, the birds, but not the primates tested, struggled to attend to multiple variables-where two apparatuses, two tools and two reward qualities were presented simultaneously-without extended experience. These findings indicate: (1) in a similar manner to humans and orangutans, New Caledonian crows and Goffin's cockatoos can flexibly make profitable decisions in some decision-making tool-use tasks, though the birds may struggle when tasks become more complex; (2) children and orangutans may have a bias to use tools in situations where adults and other tool-making species do not.}, }
@article {pmid32157639, year = {2020}, author = {Wirth, M and Bäuml, KT}, title = {Category labels can influence the effects of selective retrieval on nonretrieved items.}, journal = {Memory &amp; cognition}, volume = {48}, number = {3}, pages = {481-493}, pmid = {32157639}, issn = {1532-5946}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Adult ; Concept Formation/*physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mental Recall/*physiology ; Young Adult ; }, abstract = {Using lists of unrelated items as study material, recent studies have shown that selective retrieval of some studied items can impair or improve recall of the nonretrieved items, depending on whether the lag between study and selective retrieval is short or long. This study examined whether the results generalize when the items are studied together with their category labels (e.g., BIRD-magpie) and the category labels are reexposed as retrieval cues at test (e.g., BIRD-m___), a procedure often used in research on the effects of selective retrieval. Two lag conditions were employed in this study: a short 1-min lag between study and selective retrieval, and a longer 15-min lag that included mental context change tasks to enhance the lag-induced contextual drift. Experiment 1 employed lists of unrelated items in the absence of any category labels and replicated both the detrimental effect (after short lag) and the beneficial effect (after long lag) of selective retrieval. Experiment 1 was identical to Experiment 1 but provided the items' category labels during both study and retrieval, and Experiment 1 was identical to Experiment 1 but employed a categorized list. In both experiments, selective retrieval impaired recall in both lag conditions, indicating a critical role of category labels for the effects of selective retrieval. The results of the three experiments are consistent with a two-factor explanation of selective retrieval and the proposal that reexposure of category labels during retrieval can reinstate study context after longer lag.}, }
@article {pmid32155318, year = {2020}, author = {Moradifard, S and Saghiri, R and Ehsani, P and Mirkhani, F and Ebrahimi-Rad, M}, title = {A preliminary computational outputs versus experimental results: Application of sTRAP, a biophysical tool for the analysis of SNPs of transcription factor-binding sites.}, journal = {Molecular genetics &amp; genomic medicine}, volume = {8}, number = {5}, pages = {e1219}, pmid = {32155318}, issn = {2324-9269}, mesh = {Collagen Type I/genetics/metabolism ; Collagen Type I, alpha 1 Chain ; Humans ; Mannose-Binding Lectin/genetics/metabolism ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II/genetics/metabolism ; Nucleotide Motifs ; *Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; *Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Protein Binding ; Sequence Analysis, DNA/*methods ; Software/*standards ; Transcription Factors/genetics/*metabolism ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: In the human genome, the transcription factors (TFs) and transcription factor-binding sites (TFBSs) network has a great regulatory function in the biological pathways. Such crosstalk might be affected by the single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which could create or disrupt a TFBS, leading to either a disease or a phenotypic defect. Many computational resources have been introduced to predict the TFs binding variations due to SNPs inside TFBSs, sTRAP being one of them.<br><br>METHODS: A literature review was performed and the experimental data for 18 TFBSs located in 12 genes was provided. The sequences of TFBS motifs were extracted using two different strategies; in the size similar with synthetic target sites used in the experimental techniques, and with 60 bp upstream and downstream of the SNPs. The sTRAP (http://trap.molgen.mpg.de/cgi-bin/trap_two_seq_form.cgi) was applied to compute the binding affinity scores of their cognate TFs in the context of reference and mutant sequences of TFBSs. The alternative bioinformatics model used in this study was regulatory analysis of variation in enhancers (RAVEN; http://www.cisreg.ca/cgi-bin/RAVEN/a). The bioinformatics outputs of our study were compared with experimental data, electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA).<br><br>RESULTS: In 6 out of 18 TFBSs in the following genes COL1A1, Hb ḉᴪ, TF, FIX, MBL2, NOS2A, the outputs of sTRAP were inconsistent with the results of EMSA. Furthermore, no p value of the difference between the two scores of binding affinity under the wild and mutant conditions of TFBSs was presented. Nor, were any criteria for preference or selection of any of the measurements of different matrices used for the same analysis.<br><br>CONCLUSION: Our preliminary study indicated some paradoxical results between sTRAP and experimental data. However, to link the data of sTRAP to the biological functions, its optimization via experimental procedures with the integration of expanded data and applying several other bioinformatics tools might be required.}, }
@article {pmid32128152, year = {2020}, author = {Klein, J and Haverkamp, PJ and Lindberg, E and Griesser, M and Eggers, S}, title = {Remotely sensed forest understory density and nest predator occurrence interact to predict suitable breeding habitat and the occurrence of a resident boreal bird species.}, journal = {Ecology and evolution}, volume = {10}, number = {4}, pages = {2238-2252}, pmid = {32128152}, issn = {2045-7758}, abstract = {Habitat suitability models (HSM) based on remotely sensed data are useful tools in conservation work. However, they typically use species occurrence data rather than robust demographic variables, and their predictive power is rarely evaluated. These shortcomings can result in misleading guidance for conservation. Here, we develop and evaluate a HSM based on correlates of long-term breeding success of an open nest building boreal forest bird, the Siberian jay. In our study site in northern Sweden, nest failure of this permanent resident species is driven mainly by visually hunting corvids that are associated with human settlements. Parents rely on understory nesting cover as protection against these predators. Accordingly, our HSM includes a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) based metric of understory density around the nest and the distance of the nest to the closest human settlement to predict breeding success. It reveals that a high understory density 15-80 m around nests is associated with increased breeding success in territories close to settlements (<1.5 km). Farther away from human settlements breeding success is highest at nest sites with a more open understory providing a favorable warmer microclimate. We validated this HSM by comparing the predicted breeding success with landscape-wide census data on Siberian jay occurrence. The correlation between breeding success and occurrence was strong up to 40 km around the study site. However, the HSM appears to overestimate breeding success in regions with a milder climate and therefore higher corvid numbers. Our findings suggest that maintaining patches of small diameter trees may provide a cost-effective way to restore the breeding habitat for Siberian jays up to 1.5 km from human settlements. This distance is expected to increase in the warmer, southern, and coastal range of the Siberian jay where the presence of other corvids is to a lesser extent restricted to settlements.}, }
@article {pmid32118175, year = {2020}, author = {Zhao, Y and Cui, Y and Xiong, Z and Jin, J and Liu, Z and Dong, R and Hu, J}, title = {Machine Learning-Based Prediction of Crystal Systems and Space Groups from Inorganic Materials Compositions.}, journal = {ACS omega}, volume = {5}, number = {7}, pages = {3596-3606}, pmid = {32118175}, issn = {2470-1343}, abstract = {Structural information of materials such as the crystal systems and space groups are highly useful for analyzing their physical properties. However, the enormous composition space of materials makes experimental X-ray diffraction (XRD) or first-principle-based structure determination methods infeasible for large-scale material screening in the composition space. Herein, we propose and evaluate machine-learning algorithms for determining the structure type of materials, given only their compositions. We couple random forest (RF) and multiple layer perceptron (MLP) neural network models with three types of features: Magpie, atom vector, and one-hot encoding (atom frequency) for the crystal system and space group prediction of materials. Four types of models for predicting crystal systems and space groups are proposed, trained, and evaluated including one-versus-all binary classifiers, multiclass classifiers, polymorphism predictors, and multilabel classifiers. The synthetic minority over-sampling technique (SMOTE) is conducted to mitigate the effects of imbalanced data sets. Our results demonstrate that RF with Magpie features generally outperforms other algorithms for binary and multiclass prediction of crystal systems and space groups, while MLP with atom frequency features is the best one for structural polymorphism prediction. For multilabel prediction, MLP with atom frequency and binary relevance with Magpie models are the best for predicting crystal systems and space groups, respectively. Our analysis of the related descriptors identifies a few key contributing features for structural-type prediction such as electronegativity, covalent radius, and Mendeleev number. Our work thus paves a way for fast composition-based structural screening of inorganic materials via predicted material structural properties.}, }
@article {pmid32095315, year = {2020}, author = {Tringali, A and Sherer, DL and Cosgrove, J and Bowman, R}, title = {Life history stage explains behavior in a social network before and during the early breeding season in a cooperatively breeding bird.}, journal = {PeerJ}, volume = {8}, number = {}, pages = {e8302}, pmid = {32095315}, issn = {2167-8359}, abstract = {In species with stage-structured populations selection pressures may vary between different life history stages and result in stage-specific behaviors. We use life history stage to explain variation in the pre and early breeding season social behavior of a cooperatively breeding bird, the Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) using social network analysis. Life history stage explains much of the variation we observed in social network position. These differences are consistent with nearly 50 years of natural history observations and generally conform to a priori predictions about how individuals in different stages should behave to maximize their individual fitness. Where the results from the social network analysis differ from the a priori predictions suggest that social interactions between members of different groups are more important for breeders than previously thought. Our results emphasize the importance of accounting for life history stage in studies of individual social behavior.}, }
@article {pmid32094457, year = {2020}, author = {Fongaro, E and Rose, J}, title = {Crows control working memory before and after stimulus encoding.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {10}, number = {1}, pages = {3253}, pmid = {32094457}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Animals ; Attention ; *Behavior, Animal ; Biological Evolution ; Crows/*physiology ; Cues ; Fixation, Ocular ; Male ; *Memory, Short-Term ; *Reaction Time ; }, abstract = {The capacity of working memory is limited and this limit is comparable in crows and primates. To maximize this resource, humans use attention to select only relevant information for maintenance. Interestingly, attention-cues are effective not only before but also after the presentation of to-be-remembered stimuli, highlighting control mechanisms beyond sensory selection. Here we explore if crows are also capable of these forms of control over working memory. Two crows (Corvus corone) were trained to memorize two, four or six visual stimuli. Comparable to our previous results, the crows showed a decrease in performance with increasing working memory load. Using attention cues, we indicated the critical stimulus on a given trial. These cues were either presented before (pre-cue) or after sample-presentation (retro-cue). On other trials no cue was given as to which stimulus was critical. We found that both pre- and retro-cues enhance the performance of the birds. These results show that crows, like humans, can utilize attention to select relevant stimuli for maintenance in working memory. Importantly, crows can also utilize cues to make the most of their working memory capacity even after the stimuli are already held in working memory. This strongly implies that crows can engage in efficient control over working memory.}, }
@article {pmid32092484, year = {2020}, author = {Sekiguchi, T and Ishibashi, S and Sasame, J and Mukae, JI and Noda, K and Tanaka, H and Yamamoto, K and Takemoto, Y and Kumagai, J and Yokota, T}, title = {Recurrent stroke due to quasi-moyamoya disease associated with POEMS syndrome: An autopsy case.}, journal = {Journal of the neurological sciences}, volume = {412}, number = {}, pages = {116738}, doi = {10.1016/j.jns.2020.116738}, pmid = {32092484}, issn = {1878-5883}, mesh = {Autopsy ; Cerebral Infarction ; Humans ; *Moyamoya Disease ; *POEMS Syndrome/complications/diagnosis ; }, }
@article {pmid32083585, year = {2020}, author = {Silva, D and Cardoso, S and Guerreiro, M and Maroco, J and Mendes, T and Alves, L and Nogueira, J and Baldeiras, I and Santana, I and de Mendonça, A}, title = {Neuropsychological Contribution to Predict Conversion to Dementia in Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment Due to Alzheimer's Disease.}, journal = {Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD}, volume = {74}, number = {3}, pages = {785-796}, doi = {10.3233/JAD-191133}, pmid = {32083585}, issn = {1875-8908}, mesh = {Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Alzheimer Disease/diagnosis/*psychology ; Biomarkers ; Cognitive Dysfunction/diagnosis/*psychology ; Cohort Studies ; Disease Progression ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Male ; Memory, Episodic ; Mental Processes ; Mental Status and Dementia Tests ; Middle Aged ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Psychomotor Performance ; Socioeconomic Factors ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) confirmed by biomarkers allows the patient to make important life decisions. However, doubt about the fleetness of symptoms progression and future cognitive decline remains. Neuropsychological measures were extensively studied in prediction of time to conversion to dementia for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients in the absence of biomarker information. Similar neuropsychological measures might also be useful to predict the progression to dementia in patients with MCI due to AD.<br><br>OBJECTIVE: To study the contribution of neuropsychological measures to predict time to conversion to dementia in patients with MCI due to AD.<br><br>METHODS: Patients with MCI due to AD were enrolled from a clinical cohort and the effect of neuropsychological performance on time to conversion to dementia was analyzed.<br><br>RESULTS: At baseline, converters scored lower than non-converters at measures of verbal initiative, non-verbal reasoning, and episodic memory. The test of non-verbal reasoning was the only statistically significant predictor in a multivariate Cox regression model. A decrease of one standard deviation was associated with 29% of increase in the risk of conversion to dementia. Approximately 50% of patients with more than one standard deviation below the mean in the z score of that test had converted to dementia after 3 years of follow-up.<br><br>CONCLUSION: In MCI due to AD, lower performance in a test of non-verbal reasoning was associated with time to conversion to dementia. This test, that reveals little decline in the earlier phases of AD, appears to convey important information concerning conversion to dementia.}, }
@article {pmid32077230, year = {2020}, author = {Robertson, C and Bloomgarden, Z}, title = {Andrew Jay Drexler, in memoriam.}, journal = {Journal of diabetes}, volume = {12}, number = {10}, pages = {712-713}, doi = {10.1111/1753-0407.13023}, pmid = {32077230}, issn = {1753-0407}, mesh = {Endocrinologists/*history ; Endocrinology/*history ; History, 20th Century ; History, 21st Century ; Humans ; }, }
@article {pmid32069366, year = {2020}, author = {Knief, U and Bossu, CM and Wolf, JBW}, title = {Extra-pair paternity as a strategy to reduce the costs of heterospecific reproduction? Insights from the crow hybrid zone.}, journal = {Journal of evolutionary biology}, volume = {33}, number = {5}, pages = {727-733}, doi = {10.1111/jeb.13607}, pmid = {32069366}, issn = {1420-9101}, mesh = {Animals ; Crows/*genetics ; Europe ; Female ; *Hybridization, Genetic ; Male ; Paternity ; *Sexual Behavior, Animal ; }, abstract = {Within hybrid zones of socially monogamous species, the number of mating opportunities with a conspecific can be limited. As a consequence, individuals may mate with a heterospecific (social) partner despite possible fitness costs to their hybrid offspring. Extra-pair copulations with a conspecific may thus arise as a possible post hoc strategy to reduce the costs of hybridization. We here assessed the rate of extra-pair paternity in the hybrid zone between all-black carrion crows (Corvus (corone) corone) and grey hooded crows (C. (c.) cornix) and tested whether extra-pair paternity (EPP) was more likely in broods where parents differed in plumage colour. The proportion of broods with at least one extra-pair offspring and the proportion of extra-pair offspring were low overall (6.98% and 2.90%, respectively) with no evidence of hybrid broods having higher EPP rates than purebred nests.}, }
@article {pmid32050472, year = {2020}, author = {Tryjanowski, P and Hetman, M and Czechowski, P and Grzywaczewski, G and Sklenicka, P and Ziemblińska, K and Sparks, TH}, title = {Birds Drinking Alcohol: Species and Relationship with People. A Review of Information from Scientific Literature and Social Media.}, journal = {Animals : an open access journal from MDPI}, volume = {10}, number = {2}, pages = {}, pmid = {32050472}, issn = {2076-2615}, abstract = {Ethanol is a natural by-product of the fermentation process of fruit sugars and is occasionally consumed by fruit-eating and tree sap drinking birds. Information on this form of alcohol consumption features in the scientific literature. However, as pets or as wild animals living close to humans in urban habitats, birds have increasing possibilities to consume alcohol from beverages, such as beer, wine or spirits. Some observations have been discussed in a light-hearted manner in mass media and social media, but without any generalization of why some bird species drink the beverages intentionally or unintentionally provided by humans. To check which species and in what circumstances birds drink alcohol and how this is evaluated by humans, we reviewed the scientific literature and analysed videos from YouTube. In total we found and analysed 8 scientific papers and 179 YouTube videos, from which we identified at least 55 species (in some cases not all birds were identified to species level), 11 in the scientific literature and 47 in videos. The distribution of these species over the avian phylogenetic tree suggests that the origin of this convergent behaviour is mainly by human influence. The two data sources differed in the species covered. Videos typically presented interactions of birds with human-provided alcoholic beverages, and were dominated by two groups of intelligent birds: parrots and corvids. The popularity of YouTube videos for a particular species was positively correlated with the general popularity of the species as measured by the number of hits (results listed) on Google. Human responses to the videos were generally very positive and we analysed how the responses were influenced by factors derived from viewing the videos. Moreover, YouTube videos also provide information on at least 47 new bird species not previously mentioned as using alcohol, and our results suggest that parrots in particular can be potentially good candidates for future restricted laboratory studies on the effect of ethanol on birds and their relationship with humans.}, }
@article {pmid32039246, year = {2019}, author = {Thomas-Bachli, AL and Pearl, DL and Parmley, EJ and Berke, O}, title = {The Influence of Sociodemographic Factors on the Engagement of Citizens in the Detection of Dead Corvids During the Emergence of West Nile Virus in Ontario, Canada.}, journal = {Frontiers in veterinary science}, volume = {6}, number = {}, pages = {483}, pmid = {32039246}, issn = {2297-1769}, abstract = {West Nile virus (WNv) was introduced into North America in 1999, and by 2002 was identified in most regions of Ontario, Canada. Surveillance of WNv included testing of corvids found dead and reported by citizens across Ontario, which at the time was a novel citizen science application for disease surveillance. While this surveillance program was successful for timely identification of WNv as it emerged and spread across the province, it is important to consider the influence of non-disease factors on surveillance data collected by the public. The objective of this study was to examine associations between rates of citizen phone reports of dead corvids and sociodemographic factors within the geographic areas where the reports were obtained. The data were grouped by forward sortation area (FSA), a geographical area based upon postal codes, which was linked with census data. Associations between the weekly rate of citizen reports and FSA-level sociodemographic factors were measured using multilevel negative binomial models. There were 12,295 phone call reports of dead corvids made by citizens in 83.3% of Ontario FSAs. Factors associated with the weekly rate of phone reports included the proportion of high-rise housing, the proportion of households with children, the proportion of seniors in the population, the proportion of citizens with no knowledge of either official language and the latitude of the FSA. There were higher rates of citizen phone reports in FSAs with <80% high-rise housing and greater proportions of households with children. A positive and negative association in the rate of calls with the proportion of seniors and latitude of the FSA, respectively, were moderated by the proportion of the population with knowledge of official language(s). Understanding the sociodemographic characteristics associated with citizen reporting rates of sentinels for disease surveillance can be used to inform advanced cluster detection methods such as applying the spatial scan test with normal distribution on residuals from a regression model to reduce confounding. In citizen-derived data collected for disease surveillance, this type of approach can be helpful to improve the interpretation of cluster detection results beyond what is expected.}, }
@article {pmid32037534, year = {2020}, author = {Boonekamp, JJ and Bauch, C and Verhulst, S}, title = {Experimentally increased brood size accelerates actuarial senescence and increases subsequent reproductive effort in a wild bird population.}, journal = {The Journal of animal ecology}, volume = {89}, number = {6}, pages = {1395-1407}, pmid = {32037534}, issn = {1365-2656}, mesh = {Aging ; Animals ; Animals, Wild ; *Birds ; Longevity ; *Reproduction ; }, abstract = {The assumption that reproductive effort decreases somatic state, accelerating ageing, is central to our understanding of life-history variation. Maximal reproductive effort early in life is predicted to be maladaptive by accelerating ageing disproportionally, decreasing fitness. Optimality theory predicts that reproductive effort is restrained early in life to balance the fitness contribution of reproduction against the survival cost induced by the reproductive effort. When adaptive, the level of reproductive restraint is predicted to be inversely linked to the remaining life expectancy, potentially resulting in a terminal effort in the last period of reproduction. Experimental tests of the reproductive restraint hypothesis require manipulation of somatic state and subsequent investigation of reproductive effort and residual life span. To our knowledge the available evidence remains inconclusive, and hence reproductive restraint remains to be demonstrated. We modulated somatic state through a lifelong brood size manipulation in wild jackdaws and measured its consequences for age-dependent mortality and reproductive success. The assumption that lifelong increased brood size reduced somatic state was supported: Birds rearing enlarged broods showed subsequent increased rate of actuarial senescence, resulting in reduced residual life span. The treatment induced a reproductive response in later seasons: Egg volume and nestling survival were higher in subsequent seasons in the increased versus reduced broods' treatment group. We detected these increases in egg volume and nestling survival despite the expectation that in the absence of a change in reproductive effort, the reduced somatic state indicated by the increased mortality rate would result in lower reproductive output. This leads us to conclude that the higher reproductive success we observed was the result of higher reproductive effort. Our findings show that reproductive effort negatively covaries with remaining life expectancy, supporting optimality theory and confirming reproductive restraint as a key factor underpinning life-history variation.}, }
@article {pmid32035868, year = {2020}, author = {Swift, KN and Marzluff, JM and Templeton, CN and Shimizu, T and Cross, DJ}, title = {Brain activity underlying American crow processing of encounters with dead conspecifics.}, journal = {Behavioural brain research}, volume = {385}, number = {}, pages = {112546}, doi = {10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112546}, pmid = {32035868}, issn = {1872-7549}, mesh = {Acoustic Stimulation ; Amygdala/diagnostic imaging/physiology ; Animals ; Brain/*diagnostic imaging/physiology ; Corpus Striatum/diagnostic imaging/physiology ; Crows ; *Death ; Decision Making ; Fear/*physiology ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 ; Functional Neuroimaging ; Hippocampus/diagnostic imaging/physiology ; Learning/*physiology ; Photic Stimulation ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Radiopharmaceuticals ; Septum of Brain/diagnostic imaging/physiology ; *Social Behavior ; Thanatology ; *Vocalization, Animal ; }, abstract = {Animals utilize a variety of auditory and visual cues to navigate the landscape of fear. For some species, including corvids, dead conspecifics appear to act as one such visual cue of danger, and prompt alarm calling by attending conspecifics. Which brain regions mediate responses to dead conspecifics, and how this compares to other threats, has so far only been speculative. Using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) we contrast the metabolic response to visual and auditory cues associated with a dead conspecific among five a priori selected regions in the American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) brain: the hippocampus, nidopallium caudolaterale, striatum, amygdala, and the septum. Using a repeated-measures, fully balanced approach, we exposed crows to four stimuli: a dead conspecific, a dead song sparrow (Melospiza melodia), conspecific alarm calls given in response to a dead crow, and conspecific food begging calls. We find that in response to observations of a dead crow, crows show significant activity in areas associated with higher-order decision-making (NCL), but not in areas associated with social behaviors or fear learning. We do not find strong differences in activation between hearing alarm calls and food begging calls; both activate the NCL. Lastly, repeated exposures to negative stimuli had a marginal effect on later increasing the subjects' brain activity in response to control stimuli, suggesting that crows might quickly learn from negative experiences.}, }
@article {pmid32034818, year = {2020}, author = {Slager, DL and Epperly, KL and Ha, RR and Rohwer, S and Wood, C and Van Hemert, C and Klicka, J}, title = {Cryptic and extensive hybridization between ancient lineages of American crows.}, journal = {Molecular ecology}, volume = {29}, number = {5}, pages = {956-969}, doi = {10.1111/mec.15377}, pmid = {32034818}, issn = {1365-294X}, mesh = {Animals ; British Columbia ; Cell Nucleus/genetics ; Crows/*genetics ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; Evolution, Molecular ; Gene Flow ; *Genetics, Population ; Haplotypes ; *Hybridization, Genetic ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Washington ; }, abstract = {Most species and therefore most hybrid zones have historically been defined using phenotypic characters. However, both speciation and hybridization can occur with negligible morphological differentiation. Recently developed genomic tools provide the means to better understand cryptic speciation and hybridization. The Northwestern Crow (Corvus caurinus) and American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) are continuously distributed sister taxa that lack reliable traditional characters for identification. In this first population genomic study of Northwestern and American crows, we use genomic SNPs (nuDNA) and mtDNA to investigate the degree of genetic differentiation between these crows and the extent to which they may hybridize. Our results indicate that American and Northwestern crows have distinct evolutionary histories, supported by two nuDNA ancestry clusters and two 1.1%-divergent mtDNA clades dating to the late Pleistocene, when glacial advances may have isolated crow populations in separate refugia. We document extensive hybridization, with geographic overlap of mtDNA clades and admixture of nuDNA across >900 km of western Washington and western British Columbia. This broad hybrid zone consists of late-generation hybrids and backcrosses, but not recent (e.g., F1) hybrids. Nuclear DNA and mtDNA clines had concordant widths and were both centred in southwestern British Columbia, farther north than previously postulated. Overall, our results suggest a history of reticulate evolution in American and Northwestern crows, perhaps due to recurring neutral expansion(s) from Pleistocene glacial refugia followed by lineage fusion(s). However, we do not rule out a contributing role for more recent potential drivers of hybridization, such as expansion into human-modified habitats.}, }
@article {pmid32024887, year = {2020}, author = {Segura, A and Jimenez, J and Acevedo, P}, title = {Predation of young tortoises by ravens: the effect of habitat structure on tortoise detectability and abundance.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {10}, number = {1}, pages = {1874}, pmid = {32024887}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {*Animal Distribution ; Animals ; *Conservation of Natural Resources ; Crows/*physiology ; Forests ; Morocco ; Population Density ; Population Dynamics ; *Predatory Behavior ; Turtles/*physiology ; }, abstract = {The predation of young tortoise is considered a major cause of mortality for many tortoise species. The predation by common ravens has been identified as being responsible for significant decreases in tortoise populations. Mediterranean spur-thighed tortoise hatchlings and juveniles in Maamora forest (Morocco) were studied in order to describe the size/age class predation of common ravens on young tortoises and infer the drivers of predation risk and population abundance. The results showed a high level of predation on young tortoises (<75 mm carapace length) attributed to ravens in areas with low vegetation cover, representing 100% of the cases of mortality (n = 147), but it was moderate in covered areas (n = 19), representing 12-27%. The population structure of living juveniles differed significantly between covered and uncovered areas, thus suggesting that raven predation might modify juvenile population structure. Finally, N-mixture models showed a positive relationship between (i) bare cover and tortoise detectability that is only evidenced when the plot is far from a perch and (ii) population abundance and shrub species-richness, being higher in uncovered areas. Our results improve the knowledge on predation and survival on this critical stage in life, which is crucial for the conservation of the Mediterranean spur-thighed tortoise.}, }
@article {pmid32022303, year = {2020}, author = {Slabe, VA and Anderson, JT and Cooper, J and Miller, TA and Brown, B and Wrona, A and Ortiz, P and Buchweitz, J and McRuer, D and Dominguez-Villegas, E and Behmke, S and Katzner, T}, title = {Feeding Ecology Drives Lead Exposure of Facultative and Obligate Avian Scavengers in the Eastern United States.}, journal = {Environmental toxicology and chemistry}, volume = {39}, number = {4}, pages = {882-892}, doi = {10.1002/etc.4680}, pmid = {32022303}, issn = {1552-8618}, support = {//Virginia Department of Inland Game and Fisheries/International ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Bird Diseases/*chemically induced ; *Diet ; Ecology ; Environmental Exposure/*analysis ; Environmental Pollutants/analysis/*toxicity ; Female ; Lead/analysis/*toxicity ; Lead Poisoning/*veterinary ; Liver/chemistry ; Seasons ; Species Specificity ; United States ; }, abstract = {Lead poisoning of scavenging birds is a global issue. However, the drivers of lead exposure of avian scavengers have been understood from the perspective of individual species, not cross-taxa assemblages. We analyzed blood (n = 285) and liver (n = 226) lead concentrations of 5 facultative (American crows [Corvus brachyrhynchos], bald eagles [Haliaeetus leucocephalus], golden eagles [Aquila chrysaetos], red-shouldered hawks [Buteo lineatus], and red-tailed hawks [Buteo jamaicensis]) and 2 obligate (black vultures [Coragyps atratus] and turkey vultures [Cathartes aura] avian scavenger species to identify lead exposure patterns. Species and age were significant (α < 0.05) predictors of blood lead exposure of facultative scavengers; species, but not age, was a significant predictor of their liver lead exposure. We detected temporal variations in lead concentrations of facultative scavengers (blood: median = 4.41 µg/dL in spring and summer vs 13.08 µg/dL in autumn and winter; p = <0.001; liver: 0.32 ppm in spring and summer vs median = 4.25 ppm in autumn and winter; p = <0.001). At the species level, we detected between-period differences in blood lead concentrations of bald eagles (p = 0.01) and red-shouldered hawks during the winter (p = 0.001). During summer, obligate scavengers had higher liver lead concentrations than did facultative scavengers (median = 1.76 ppm vs 0.22 ppm; p = <0.001). These data suggest that the feeding ecology of avian scavengers is a determinant of the degree to which they are lead exposed, and they highlight the importance of dietary and behavioral variation in determining lead exposure. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:882-892. © 2020 SETAC.}, }
@article {pmid32020608, year = {2020}, author = {von Eugen, K and Tabrik, S and Güntürkün, O and Ströckens, F}, title = {A comparative analysis of the dopaminergic innervation of the executive caudal nidopallium in pigeon, chicken, zebra finch, and carrion crow.}, journal = {The Journal of comparative neurology}, volume = {528}, number = {17}, pages = {2929-2955}, doi = {10.1002/cne.24878}, pmid = {32020608}, issn = {1096-9861}, mesh = {Animals ; Chickens ; Columbidae ; Crows ; Dopaminergic Neurons/*physiology ; Finches ; Prefrontal Cortex/*cytology/*physiology ; Species Specificity ; }, abstract = {Despite the long, separate evolutionary history of birds and mammals, both lineages developed a rich behavioral repertoire of remarkably similar executive control generated by distinctly different brains. The seat for executive functioning in birds is the nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL) and the mammalian equivalent is known as the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Both are densely innervated by dopaminergic fibers, and are an integration center of sensory input and motor output. Whereas the variation of the PFC has been well documented in different mammalian orders, we know very little about the NCL across the avian clade. In order to investigate whether this structure adheres to species-specific variations, this study aimed to describe the trajectory of the NCL in pigeon, chicken, carrion crow and zebra finch. We employed immunohistochemistry to map dopaminergic innervation, and executed a Gallyas stain to visualize the dorsal arcopallial tract that runs between the NCL and the arcopallium. Our analysis showed that whereas the trajectory of the NCL in the chicken is highly comparable to the pigeon, the two Passeriformes show a strikingly different pattern. In both carrion crow and zebra finch, we identified four different subareas of high dopaminergic innervation that span the entire caudal forebrain. Based on their sensory input, motor output, and involvement in dopamine-related cognitive control of the delineated areas here, we propose that at least three morphologically different subareas constitute the NCL in these songbirds. Thus, our study shows that comparable to the PFC in mammals, the NCL in birds varies considerably across species.}, }
@article {pmid32019934, year = {2020}, author = {Ditz, HM and Nieder, A}, title = {Format-dependent and format-independent representation of sequential and simultaneous numerosity in the crow endbrain.}, journal = {Nature communications}, volume = {11}, number = {1}, pages = {686}, pmid = {32019934}, issn = {2041-1723}, mesh = {Animals ; Crows/*physiology ; Male ; Mathematical Concepts ; Neurons/physiology ; Telencephalon/*physiology ; Visual Perception ; }, abstract = {Humans' symbolic counting skills are built on a primordial ability to approximately estimate the number of items, or numerosity. To date it is debated whether numerosities presented in categorically different formats, that is as temporal sequences versus spatial arrays, are represented abstractly in the brain. To address this issue, we identified the behavioral characteristics and neuronal codes for sequential and simultaneous number formats in crows. We find a format-dependent representation by distinct groups of selective neurons during the sensory encoding stage. However, an abstract and format-independent numerosity code emerges once the encoding phase is completed and numerosities needed to be memorized. These results suggest a successive two-stage code for categorically different number formats and help to reconcile conflicting findings observed in psychophysics and brain imaging.}, }
@article {pmid32013539, year = {2020}, author = {Soda, K and Tomioka, Y and Usui, T and Ozaki, H and Yamaguchi, T and Ito, T}, title = {Pathogenicity of H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus in rooks (Corvus frugilegus).}, journal = {Avian pathology : journal of the W.V.P.A}, volume = {49}, number = {3}, pages = {261-267}, doi = {10.1080/03079457.2020.1724876}, pmid = {32013539}, issn = {1465-3338}, mesh = {Animals ; *Crows ; Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype/*pathogenicity ; Influenza in Birds/*virology ; Virus Shedding ; }, abstract = {Rooks (Corvus frugilegus) are considered migratory crows in Japan. Some rooks share a wintering site in the Izumi plain in Kagoshima Prefecture with hooded cranes (Grus monacha) and white-necked cranes (Grus vipio), which are designated as "endangered" in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), caused by H5 subtype viruses, has recently been reported in these crane species in Japan, in conjunction with a massive decrease in their population. In the present study, the pathogenicity of HPAI virus was assessed in rooks to evaluate the likelihood that they are a source of infections in other bird species. One of four rooks intranasally inoculated with A/mandarin duck/Miyazaki/22M807-1/2011 (H5N1) died at 10 days post-inoculation (d.p.i.). The other three rooks exhibited seroconversion but no clinical signs. All the rooks had shed virus by the oral route at <103 50% egg infectious dose/ml until 7 d.p.i. Virus was also recovered from multiple tissues of the rook that succumbed to the infection. These results suggest that rooks are susceptible to infection with H5 HPAI viruses, leading to prolonged viral shedding. The rooks shed the virus at low titres however, indicating that they are likely to function as transmission vectors in wintering bird flocks. The rooks exhibited clear antibody responses against the H5 HPAI virus, and thus serological surveillance of them in the field should be helpful for assessing viral pervasion into the habitats of crane species.}, }
@article {pmid32003106, year = {2020}, author = {Smith, OM and Snyder, WE and Owen, JP}, title = {Are we overestimating risk of enteric pathogen spillover from wild birds to humans?.}, journal = {Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society}, volume = {95}, number = {3}, pages = {652-679}, pmid = {32003106}, issn = {1469-185X}, mesh = {Animal Migration ; Animals ; Animals, Wild ; Bacterial Infections/epidemiology/microbiology/transmission/*veterinary ; Bird Diseases/epidemiology/microbiology/*transmission ; Birds ; Disease Reservoirs/microbiology/veterinary ; Humans ; Livestock ; Prevalence ; Regression Analysis ; Risk Factors ; Virulence ; }, abstract = {Enteric illnesses remain the second largest source of communicable diseases worldwide, and wild birds are suspected sources for human infection. This has led to efforts to reduce pathogen spillover through deterrence of wildlife and removal of wildlife habitat, particularly within farming systems, which can compromise conservation efforts and the ecosystem services wild birds provide. Further, Salmonella spp. are a significant cause of avian mortality, leading to additional conservation concerns. Despite numerous studies of enteric bacteria in wild birds and policies to discourage birds from food systems, we lack a comprehensive understanding of wild bird involvement in transmission of enteric bacteria to humans. Here, we propose a framework for understanding spillover of enteric pathogens from wild birds to humans, which includes pathogen acquisition, reservoir competence and bacterial shedding, contact with people and food, and pathogen survival in the environment. We place the literature into this framework to identify important knowledge gaps. Second, we conduct a meta-analysis of prevalence data for three human enteric pathogens, Campylobacter spp., E. coli, and Salmonella spp., in 431 North American breeding bird species. Our literature review revealed that only 3% of studies addressed the complete system of pathogen transmission. In our meta-analysis, we found a Campylobacter spp. prevalence of 27% across wild birds, while prevalence estimates of pathogenic E. coli (20%) and Salmonella spp. (6.4%) were lower. There was significant bias in which bird species have been tested, with most studies focusing on a small number of taxa that are common near people (e.g. European starlings Sturnus vulgaris and rock pigeons Columba livia) or commonly in contact with human waste (e.g. gulls). No pathogen prevalence data were available for 65% of North American breeding bird species, including many commonly in contact with humans (e.g. black-billed magpie Pica hudsonia and great blue heron Ardea herodias), and our metadata suggest that some under-studied species, taxonomic groups, and guilds may represent equivalent or greater risk to human infection than heavily studied species. We conclude that current data do not provide sufficient information to determine the likelihood of enteric pathogen spillover from wild birds to humans and thus preclude management solutions. The primary focus in the literature on pathogen prevalence likely overestimates the probability of enteric pathogen spillover from wild birds to humans because a pathogen must survive long enough at an infectious dose and be a strain that is able to colonize humans to cause infection. We propose that future research should focus on the large number of under-studied species commonly in contact with people and food production and demonstrate shedding of bacterial strains pathogenic to humans into the environment where people may contact them. Finally, studies assessing the duration and intensity of bacterial shedding and survival of bacteria in the environment in bird faeces will help provide crucial missing information necessary to calculate spillover probability. Addressing these essential knowledge gaps will support policy to reduce enteric pathogen spillover to humans and enhance bird conservation efforts that are currently undermined by unsupported fears of pathogen spillover from wild birds.}, }
@article {pmid32002147, year = {2019}, author = {Söderlund, R and Skarin, H and Börjesson, S and Sannö, A and Jernberg, T and Aspán, A and Ågren, EO and Hansson, I}, title = {Prevalence and genomic characteristics of zoonotic gastro-intestinal pathogens and ESBL/pAmpC producing Enterobacteriaceae among Swedish corvid birds.}, journal = {Infection ecology &amp; epidemiology}, volume = {9}, number = {1}, pages = {1701399}, pmid = {32002147}, issn = {2000-8686}, abstract = {Introduction: Wild birds pose a potential threat to animal and human health by spreading infectious diseases. In the present study, we studied the occurrence of bacterial zoonotic pathogens as well as enterobacteria with transferrable antimicrobial resistance genes among Swedish corvids. Materials and methods: Intestines from 66 jackdaws, crows, rooks and magpies from the vicinity of livestock farms at 14 locations in 7 counties were analysed by direct culture or PCR screening followed by culture. Isolates were investigated by whole-genome sequencing. Results and discussion: Campylobacter jejuni were detected in 82% and Yersinia in 3% of the birds. ESBL-producing E. coli were found in one sample (2%) and carried bla CTX-M-55. No Enterobacteriaceae with transferable carbapenem resistance were identified. No Salmonella or E. coli O157:H7 were found, but PCR analysis for enterohaemorrhagic E. coli virulence genes revealed 35% positive samples for intimin, 9% for verotoxin 1 and 17% for verotoxin 2. C. jejuni isolates from corvids were compared to previously published isolates from Swedish sources by multi-locus sequence typing based on genome sequences. All corvid C. jejuni isolates formed a cluster, intermingled with human and chicken isolates. Our results indicate that C. jejuni is ubiquitous among Swedish corvid birds, with sporadic transmission to poultry and humans.}, }
@article {pmid31999962, year = {2020}, author = {Paszulewicz, J and Wolski, P and Gajdek, M}, title = {Is laterality adaptive? Pitfalls in disentangling the laterality-performance relationship.}, journal = {Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior}, volume = {125}, number = {}, pages = {175-189}, doi = {10.1016/j.cortex.2019.11.019}, pmid = {31999962}, issn = {1973-8102}, mesh = {*Brain ; *Functional Laterality ; Hand ; Humans ; Mathematics ; }, abstract = {Unlike non-human animal studies that have progressively demonstrated the advantages of being asymmetrical at an individual, group and population level, human studies show a quite inconsistent picture. Specifically, it is hardly clear if and how the strength of lateralization that an individual is equipped with relates to their cognitive performance. While some of these inconsistencies can be attributed to procedural and conceptual differences, the issue is aggravated by the fact that the intrinsic mathematical interdependence of the measures of laterality and performance produces spurious correlations that can be mistaken for evidence of an adaptive advantage of asymmetry. Leask and Crow [Leask, S. J., &amp; Crow, T. J. (1997), How far does the brain lateralize?: an unbiased method for determining the optimum degree of hemispheric specialization. Neuropsychologia, 35(10), 1381-1387] devised a method of overcoming this problem that has been subsequently used in several large-sample studies investigating the asymmetry-performance relationship. In our paper we show that the original Leask and Crow method and its later variants fall victim to inherent nonlinear dependencies and produce artifacts. By applying the Leask and Crow method to random data and with mathematical analysis, we demonstrate that what has been believed to describe the true asymmetry-performance relation in fact only reflects the idiosyncrasies of the method itself. We think that the approach taken by Leask in his later paper [Leask, S. (2003), Principal curve analysis avoids assumptions of dependence between measures of hand skill. Laterality, 8(4), 307-316. doi:10.1080/13576500342000004] might be preferable.}, }
@article {pmid31993982, year = {2020}, author = {Goto, K and Watanabe, S}, title = {The whole is equal to the sum of its parts: Pigeons (Columba livia) and crows (Corvus macrorhynchos) do not perceive emergent configurations.}, journal = {Learning &amp; behavior}, volume = {48}, number = {1}, pages = {53-65}, pmid = {31993982}, issn = {1543-4508}, mesh = {Animals ; *Columbidae ; *Crows ; Discrimination Learning ; Humans ; Pan troglodytes ; Reaction Time ; }, abstract = {We previously demonstrated that chimpanzees, like humans, showed better accuracy and faster response time in discriminating visual patterns when the patterns were presented in redundant and uninformative contexts than when they were presented alone. In the present study, we examined the effect of redundant context on pattern discrimination in pigeons (Columba livia) and large-billed crows (Corvus macrorhynchos) using the same task and stimuli as those used in our previous study on chimpanzees. Birds were trained to search for an odd target among homogenous distractors. Each stimulus was presented in one of three ways: (1) alone, (2) with identical context that resulted in emergent configuration to chimpanzees (congruent context), or (3) with identical context that did not result in emergent configuration to chimpanzees (incongruent context). In contrast to the facilitative effect of congruent contexts we previously reported in chimpanzees, the same contexts disrupted target localization performance in both pigeons and crows. These results imply that birds, unlike chimpanzees, do not perceive emergent configurations.}, }
@article {pmid31990840, year = {2020}, author = {Stilp, E}, title = {Crow.}, journal = {JAAPA : official journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants}, volume = {33}, number = {2}, pages = {1}, doi = {10.1097/01.JAA.0000651780.30353.9a}, pmid = {31990840}, issn = {1547-1896}, mesh = {*Death ; Family/*psychology ; Female ; Friends/*psychology ; *Grief ; Humans ; Male ; }, }
@article {pmid31986065, year = {2020}, author = {González, JE and Barquinero, JF and Holladay, BA and Di Giorgio, M and Higueras, M}, title = {Uncertainty calculation methods in dose assessment for dicentric chromosome assay.}, journal = {International journal of radiation biology}, volume = {96}, number = {5}, pages = {606-613}, doi = {10.1080/09553002.2020.1721599}, pmid = {31986065}, issn = {1362-3095}, mesh = {Bayes Theorem ; Calibration ; Chromosome Aberrations/*radiation effects ; Computer Simulation ; Humans ; Poisson Distribution ; *Radiation Dosage ; *Uncertainty ; }, abstract = {Purpose: To present the impact in coverage of different methods for Poisson confidence intervals and the impact in dose coverage of different uncertainty factors. A detailed explanation of the uncertainty sources in the Bayesian method is also presented.Materials and methods: The exact coverage of uncertainty Poisson confidence intervals and the dose uncertainty interval coverage were performed by simulations using R-based scripts.Results: The Poisson exact calibration interval via the Modified Crow and Gardner method resulted in coverage quite close to the nominal level of confidence; additionally, the method retains the shortest property of Crow and Gardner, and gains the property of a lower limit strictly increasing in the mean of dicentrics. The unlimited simultaneous calibration interval seems to be the method of choice to preserve the coverage at 95% under parametric and nonparametric conditions but is a conservative method. When samples came from a Poisson distribution, the ISO propagation of errors and Bayesian approaches seem to be the closest to the 95% coverage.Conclusions: The Modified Crow and Gardner method should be preferred over the Garwood method for Poisson exact confidence intervals. The unlimited simultaneous calibration interval did not lose its property to preserve the coverage at 95% applying a regression coverage factor of value 2.02 at the point of doses studied in the simulation.}, }
@article {pmid31984462, year = {2020}, author = {Eid, EM and Galal, TM and Sewelam, NA and Talha, NI and Abdallah, SM}, title = {Phytoremediation of heavy metals by four aquatic macrophytes and their potential use as contamination indicators: a comparative assessment.}, journal = {Environmental science and pollution research international}, volume = {27}, number = {11}, pages = {12138-12151}, pmid = {31984462}, issn = {1614-7499}, support = {R.G.P. 1/94/40//the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Khalid University/ ; }, mesh = {Biodegradation, Environmental ; Egypt ; *Eichhornia ; Metals, Heavy/*analysis ; Water Pollutants, Chemical/*analysis ; }, abstract = {The present study estimated the ability of four aquatic macrophytes (Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms, Ludwigia stolonifera (Guill. &amp; Perr.) P.H. Raven, Echinochloa stagnina (Retz.) P. Beauv. and Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud.) to accumulate Cd, Ni and Pb and their use for indicating and phytoremediating these metals in contaminated wetlands. Three sites at five locations in the Kitchener Drain in Gharbia and Kafr El-Sheikh Governorates (Egypt) were selected for plant, water and sediment sampling. The water in the Kitchener Drain was polluted with Cd, while Pb and Ni were far below the maximum level of Pb and Ni in the irrigation water. In comparison to the other species, P. australis accumulated the highest concentrations of Cd and Ni, while E. crassipes accumulated the highest concentration of Pb in its tissues. The four species had bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) greater than one, while their translocation factors (TFs) were less than 1 for most heavy metals, except Cd in the leaf and stem of E. stagnina and L. stolonifera, respectively, and Ni in the stem and leaf of E. stagnina. The BAF and TF results indicated that the studied species are suitable for phytostabilizing the studied heavy metals, except Ni in E. stagnina and Cd in L. stolonifera, which are suitable for phytoextracting these metals. Significant positive correlations were found between the investigated heavy metals in the water or sediment and the plant tissues. Their high BAFs, with significant proportional correlations, supported the potential of these species to serve as bioindicators and biomonitors of heavy metals in general and in the investigated metals specifically.}, }
@article {pmid31972269, year = {2020}, author = {Kombiah, S and Kumar, M and Murugkar, HV and Nagarajan, S and Tosh, C and Senthil Kumar, D and Rajukumar, K and Gautam, S and Singh, R and Karikalan, M and Sharma, AK and Singh, VP}, title = {Experimental pathology of two highly pathogenic H5N1 viruses isolated from crows in BALB/c mice.}, journal = {Microbial pathogenesis}, volume = {141}, number = {}, pages = {103984}, doi = {10.1016/j.micpath.2020.103984}, pmid = {31972269}, issn = {1096-1208}, mesh = {Animals ; Biopsy ; Crows ; Disease Susceptibility ; Histocytochemistry ; Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype/classification/isolation &amp; purification/*pathogenicity ; Influenza in Birds ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Orthomyxoviridae Infections/pathology/*virology ; RNA, Viral ; Reassortant Viruses/genetics ; Viral Load ; Virus Replication ; }, abstract = {In this study, we assessed the pathogenicity of two H5N1 viruses isolated from crows in mice. Eighteen 6-8 weeks BALB/c mice each were intranasally inoculated with 106 EID50/ml of H5N1 viruses A/crow/India/03CA04/2015 (H9N2-PB2 reassortant H5N1) and A/crow/India/02CA01/2012 (Non-reassortant H5N1). The infected mice showed dullness, weight loss and ruffled fur coat. Histopathological examination of lungs showed severe congestion, haemorrhage, thrombus, fibrinous exudate in perivascular area, interstitial septal thickening, bronchiolitis and alveolitis leading to severe pneumonic changes and these lesions were less pronounced in reassortant virus infected mice. Viral replication was demonstrated in nasal mucosa, lungs, trachea and brain in both the groups. Brain, lung, nasal mucosa and trachea showed significantly higher viral RNA copies and presence of antigen in immunohistochemistry in both the groups. This study concludes that both the crow viruses caused morbidity and mortality in mice and the viruses were phenotypically highly virulent in mice. The H5N1 viruses isolated from synanthropes pose a serious public health concern and should be monitored continuously for their human spill-over.}, }
@article {pmid31967425, year = {2019}, author = {MacDonald, AM and Gibson, DJ and Barta, JR and Poulson, R and Brown, JD and Allison, AB and Nemeth, NM}, title = {Bayesian Phylogenetic Analysis of Avipoxviruses from North American Wild Birds Demonstrates New Insights into Host Specificity and Interspecies Transmission.}, journal = {Avian diseases}, volume = {63}, number = {3}, pages = {427-432}, doi = {10.1637/12023-010619-Reg.1}, pmid = {31967425}, issn = {1938-4351}, mesh = {Animals ; Animals, Wild ; Avipoxvirus ; Bayes Theorem ; Bird Diseases/*transmission/virology ; *Birds ; Canada ; *Host Specificity ; Phylogeny ; Poxviridae Infections/transmission/*veterinary/virology ; United States ; United States Virgin Islands ; }, abstract = {Avian pox is commonly diagnosed in a variety of North American wild and domestic birds, yet little is known about the evolutionary relationships among the causative poxviruses. This study aimed to determine the phylogenetic relationships among isolates identified in different avian host species to better characterize the host range of specific viral strains and compare the genetic variability within and between viral clades. Skin lesions grossly and microscopically consistent with poxvirus infection from 82 birds collected in Canada, the United States, and the U.S. Virgin Islands were included in this study. A total of 12 avian species were represented; the most common species sampled were wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo), mourning doves (Zenaida macroura), and American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos). Poxvirus samples from these birds were genotyped using PCR that targeted the 4b core protein gene followed by amplicon sequencing. Bayesian phylogenetic analyses of these viruses, in conjunction with publicly available sequences, representing avipoxvirus strains from six continents revealed statistically significant monophyletic clades based on genetic distances of sequences within and between observed clades. Genetic variation within the fowlpox clade was low compared to the canarypox clade. Host and geographic origins of viral isolates revealed overall clustering of viral strains within avian species, with a few exceptions. No genetic differences were observed between viruses from Canada and the United States within individual species. These results are novel in their characterization and comparison of the phylogenetic relationships of poxvirus isolates in wild bird species from North America. Further, we provide new data on the level of host specificity and specific strains circulating in North America.}, }
@article {pmid31953130, year = {2020}, author = {Dutour, M and Ridley, AR}, title = {Females sing more often and at higher frequencies than males in Australian magpies.}, journal = {Behavioural processes}, volume = {172}, number = {}, pages = {104045}, doi = {10.1016/j.beproc.2020.104045}, pmid = {31953130}, issn = {1872-8308}, mesh = {Animals ; Birds/*physiology ; Female ; Male ; *Sex Characteristics ; Territoriality ; *Vocalization, Animal ; }, abstract = {Birdsong is a particularly useful model for animal communication studies. However, current knowledge is derived mainly from the study of male song, and is therefore incomplete. Here, we investigated whether singing behaviour differs between sexes in the cooperatively breeding Western Australian magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen dorsalis). This subspecies lives in territorial groups, and in our population there is a female-biased sex ratio, which may lead to a high level of female-female competition for males. Observations of 94 magpies (54 females, 40 males) revealed that females sang more often than males. As bird song is a sexually multidimensional signal, we also studied amplitude and structure of the main territorial high-amplitude song in magpie; the carol. We found that females sing at the same amplitude as males, but that male and female carols exhibit differences in frequency. These results highlight the importance of studying female song and may change our perception regarding the evolution of sex-specific traits, given the primary focus on male singing as a sexually selected trait in the literature to date. The next step is to discover additional species in which females sing more than males in order to improve our currently incomplete understanding of the evolution of bird song.}, }
@article {pmid31941921, year = {2020}, author = {Vernouillet, A and Kelly, DM}, title = {Individual exploratory responses are not repeatable across time or context for four species of food-storing corvid.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {10}, number = {1}, pages = {394}, pmid = {31941921}, issn = {2045-2322}, support = {4944-2017//Gouvernement du Canada | Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (Conseil de Recherches en Sciences Naturelles et en Génie du Canada)/International ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Behavior, Animal ; Discrimination, Psychological ; *Environment ; *Exploratory Behavior ; *Feeding Behavior ; Passeriformes/*physiology ; Social Behavior ; Species Specificity ; }, abstract = {Exploration is among one of the most studied of animal personality traits (i.e., individual-level behavioural responses repeatable across time and contexts). However, not all species show clear evidence of this personality trait, and this is particularly so for members of the Corvidae family. We assessed the exploratory behaviour of four food-caching corvid species: pinyon jays (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus), Clark's nutcrackers (Nucifraga columbiana), California scrub jays (Aphelocoma californica), and black-billed magpies (Pica hudsonia). Contextual repeatability was assessed through examining behavioural measures during the Novel Environment task and the Novel Object task, whereas temporal repeatability was assessed by examining changes in these measures over repeated trials. Our results suggest that, for corvids, an individual's exploratory behaviour was not repeatable across contexts or over time. Hence, we found no evidence that exploration constitutes a personality trait for these species of corvid. We did find differences in exploratory behaviour, at a species level, that may be explained by relative reliance on cached food.}, }
@article {pmid31938533, year = {2019}, author = {Kövér, L and Lengyel, S and Takenaka, M and Kirchmeir, A and Uhl, F and Miller, R and Schwab, C}, title = {Why do zoos attract crows? A comparative study from Europe and Asia.}, journal = {Ecology and evolution}, volume = {9}, number = {24}, pages = {14465-14475}, pmid = {31938533}, issn = {2045-7758}, abstract = {Crows have successfully colonized many cities, and urban zoos have been important in this process. To evaluate why zoos attract crows, we quantified crow numbers and behavior in three zoos in Europe (Debrecen, Edinburgh, Vienna) and one in Asia (Sapporo). Data were collected in 445 surveys over 297 days in summer 2014 and winter 2014-2015. We found that crow numbers were highest in Vienna, intermediate in Debrecen and Edinburgh and lowest in Sapporo, increased significantly from summer to winter (Debrecen, Edinburgh, Vienna), and from mornings to afternoons (Debrecen, Sapporo, Vienna), and were higher in sunny weather than in cloudy weather with precipitation and when visitor numbers were low (Debrecen, Vienna). The crows' use of natural food was highest in Vienna, intermediate in Edinburgh and Sapporo, and low in Debrecen. The use of anthropogenic food was high in Debrecen and Sapporo, where the availability of open grassy areas typically used by crows for natural foraging was low. In Sapporo, food availability was more limited than in other zoos, resulting in strong territoriality and few crows in summer, which decreased further in winter. Our study indicates that crows are primarily attracted to zoos by food availability and secondarily by breeding opportunities and that the relative importance of natural versus anthropogenic food sources may vary with zoo habitat structure. Our study draws attention to a previously overlooked role of zoos in urban biodiversity conservation. It may also provide useful information for the management of crow populations, if necessary, and for the planning of urban areas.}, }
@article {pmid31938530, year = {2019}, author = {Frommhold, M and Heim, A and Barabanov, M and Maier, F and Mühle, RU and Smirenski, SM and Heim, W}, title = {Breeding habitat and nest-site selection by an obligatory "nest-cleptoparasite", the Amur Falcon Falco amurensis.}, journal = {Ecology and evolution}, volume = {9}, number = {24}, pages = {14430-14441}, pmid = {31938530}, issn = {2045-7758}, abstract = {The selection of a nest site is crucial for successful reproduction of birds. Animals which re-use or occupy nest sites constructed by other species often have limited choice. Little is known about the criteria of nest-stealing species to choose suitable nesting sites and habitats. Here, we analyze breeding-site selection of an obligatory "nest-cleptoparasite", the Amur Falcon Falco amurensis. We collected data on nest sites at Muraviovka Park in the Russian Far East, where the species breeds exclusively in nests of the Eurasian Magpie Pica pica. We sampled 117 Eurasian Magpie nests, 38 of which were occupied by Amur Falcons. Nest-specific variables were assessed, and a recently developed habitat classification map was used to derive landscape metrics. We found that Amur Falcons chose a wide range of nesting sites, but significantly preferred nests with a domed roof. Breeding pairs of Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo and Eurasian Magpie were often found to breed near the nest in about the same distance as neighboring Amur Falcon pairs. Additionally, the occurrence of the species was positively associated with bare soil cover, forest cover, and shrub patches within their home range and negatively with the distance to wetlands. Areas of wetlands and fallow land might be used for foraging since Amur Falcons mostly depend on an insect diet. Additionally, we found that rarely burned habitats were preferred. Overall, the effect of landscape variables on the choice of actual nest sites appeared to be rather small. We used different classification methods to predict the probability of occurrence, of which the Random forest method showed the highest accuracy. The areas determined as suitable habitat showed a high concordance with the actual nest locations. We conclude that Amur Falcons prefer to occupy newly built (domed) nests to ensure high nest quality, as well as nests surrounded by available feeding habitats.}, }
@article {pmid31936349, year = {2020}, author = {Shrader-Frechette, KS and Biondo, AM}, title = {Protecting Children from Toxic Waste: Data-Usability Evaluation Can Deter Flawed Cleanup.}, journal = {International journal of environmental research and public health}, volume = {17}, number = {2}, pages = {}, pmid = {31936349}, issn = {1660-4601}, mesh = {California ; Child ; *Child Health ; *Environmental Restoration and Remediation ; Hazardous Waste ; *Hazardous Waste Sites ; Humans ; Public Health ; Risk Assessment ; }, abstract = {Nearly 25 percent of US children live within 2 km of toxic-waste sites, most of which are in urban areas. They face higher rates of cancer than adults, partly because the dominant contaminants at most US hazardous-waste sites include genotoxic carcinogens, like trichloroethylene, that are much more harmful to children. The purpose of this article is to help protect the public, especially children, from these threats and to improve toxics-remediation by beginning to test our hypothesis: If site-remediation assessments fail data-usability evaluation (DUE), they likely compromise later cleanups and public health, especially children's health. To begin hypothesis-testing, we perform a focused DUE for an unremediated, Pasadena, California toxic site. Our DUE methods are (a) comparing project-specific, remediation-assessment data with the remediation-assessment conceptual site model (CSM), in order to identify data gaps, and (b) using data-gap directionality to assess possible determinate bias (whether reported toxics risks are lower/higher than true values). Our results reveal (1) major CSM data gaps, particularly regarding Pasadena-toxic-site risks to children; (2) determinate bias, namely, risk underestimation; thus (3) likely inadequate remediation. Our discussion shows that if these results are generalizable, requiring routine, independent, DUEs might deter flawed toxic-site assessment/cleanup and resulting health threats, especially to children.}, }
@article {pmid31934505, year = {2020}, author = {Jiang, S and Li, Z and Cheng, X and Wang, X}, title = {The first pterosaur basihyal, shedding light on the evolution and function of pterosaur hyoid apparatuses.}, journal = {PeerJ}, volume = {8}, number = {}, pages = {e8292}, pmid = {31934505}, issn = {2167-8359}, abstract = {The pterosaur is the first known vertebrate clade to achieve powered flight. Its hyoid apparatus shows a simplification similar to that of birds, although samples of the apparatus are rare, limiting the ability to make an accurate determination. In this study we reveal a new pterosaur specimen, including the first definite basihyal. Through the comparison of pterosaur hyoids, a trend has been discovered for the shortened hyoid relative to the length of the skull, indicating a diminished role of lingual retraction during the evolution of the pterosaur. The new material, possibly from a gallodactylid Gladocephaloideus, represents one of the least effective lingual retractions in all pterosaurs. Based on the structure of an elongated ceratobranchial and retroarticular process on mandibles, the function of the Y-shaped istiodactylid tongue bone is similar to those of scavenger crows rather than chameleons, which is consistent with the interpretation of the scavenging behavior of this taxon. More fossil samples are needed for further study on the function of other pterosaur hyoids.}, }
@article {pmid31917312, year = {2020}, author = {Li, S and Yin, C and Zhao, W and Lian, X and Hong, Q}, title = {Application of Hydrogen Proton Magnetic Resonance Technology Combined with Brain Neurometabolite Analysis in the Treatment of Cognitive Impairment Caused by Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.}, journal = {World neurosurgery}, volume = {138}, number = {}, pages = {654-662}, doi = {10.1016/j.wneu.2019.12.162}, pmid = {31917312}, issn = {1878-8769}, mesh = {Adult ; Aged ; Aspartic Acid/*analogs &amp; derivatives/metabolism ; Cognitive Dysfunction/*diagnostic imaging/metabolism/therapy ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/*diagnostic imaging/metabolism/therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrogen ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prefrontal Cortex/*diagnostic imaging/metabolism ; Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy/*methods ; Protons ; Treatment Outcome ; }, abstract = {This study used hydrogen proton magnetic resonance imaging to detect the changes of white matter and the medial cortex in the prefrontal cortex of patients with type 2 diabetes, analyzed its relationship with cognitive function and blood glucose level, and discussed the recognition of patients with type 2 diabetes from the perspective of brain metabolism. We discuss the neural mechanisms affected by the disorder. The experiment recruited 65 volunteers, including 32 control subjects and 33 patients with type 2 diabetes. All volunteers underwent clinical cognitive function and psychological evaluation, including a simple intelligent mental state examination scale, digital breadth test, Raven intelligence test, Flanker paradigm experiment, connection test, auditory word learning test, depression self-evaluation scale, and anxiety self-rating scale. All subjects underwent multivoxel proton magnetic resonance scanning, and the spectral data were processed and metabolite concentration analysis was completed by Functool software. The detected regions of interest included the bilateral prefrontal white matter and bilateral prefrontal cortex. This study found that the N-acetylaspartate (NAA) and NAA/myo-inositol (MI) of the right prefrontal cortex were reduced, the right prefrontal white matter choline-containing compounds increased, and the MI of the bilateral prefrontal cortex increased in the type 2 diabetes group compared with the control group. The NAA value of the right prefrontal cortex in the type 2 diabetes group was negatively correlated with the glycated hemoglobin concentration. The study found that the right prefrontal cortex NAA value of patients with type 2 diabetes was negatively correlated with the glycated hemoglobin concentration, reflecting that recent blood glucose levels can affect the changes of brain metabolites, and reasonable control of blood glucose can effectively delay brain neurons caused by diabetes.}, }
@article {pmid31912657, year = {2020}, author = {Long, KL and Prothero, DR and Syverson, VJP}, title = {How do small birds evolve in response to climate change? Data from the long-term record at La Brea tar pits.}, journal = {Integrative zoology}, volume = {15}, number = {4}, pages = {249-261}, doi = {10.1111/1749-4877.12426}, pmid = {31912657}, issn = {1749-4877}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Birds/*anatomy &amp; histology ; California ; *Climate Change ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Biology textbooks describe the small changes in the beaks of the Galápagos finches as exemplars of how birds evolve in response to environmental changes. However, recent studies of the abundant fossil birds at Rancho La Brea find no evidence of evolutionary responses to the dramatic climate changes of the glacial-interglacial cycle over the past 35 000 years: none of the large birds exhibit any change in body size or limb proportions, even during the last glacial maximum approximately 18 000-20 000 years ago, when the southern California chaparral was replaced by snowy coniferous forests. However, these are all large birds with large ranges and broad habitat preferences, capable of living in many different environments. Perhaps the smaller birds at La Brea, which have smaller home ranges and narrower habitats, might respond to climate more like Galápagos finches. The only 3 common small birds at La Brea are the western meadowlark, the yellow-billed magpie and the raven. In this study, we demonstrate that these birds also show complete stasis over the last glacial-interglacial cycle, with no statistically significant changes between dated pits. Recent research suggests that the small-scale changes over short timescales seen in the Galápagos finches are merely fluctuations around a stable morphology, and rarely lead to long-term accumulation of changes or speciation. Instead, the prevalence of stasis supports the view that long-term directional changes in morphology are quite rare. While directional changes in morphology occur frequently over short (<1 ka) timescales, in the long term such changes only rarely remain stable for long enough to appear in the fossil record.}, }
@article {pmid31912608, year = {2020}, author = {Rahman, M and Mangtani, P and Uyeki, TM and Cardwell, JM and Torremorell, M and Islam, A and Samad, MA and Muraduzzaman, AKM and Giasuddin, M and Sarkar, S and Alamgir, ASM and Salimuzzaman, M and Flora, MS}, title = {Evaluation of potential risk of transmission of avian influenza A viruses at live bird markets in response to unusual crow die-offs in Bangladesh.}, journal = {Influenza and other respiratory viruses}, volume = {14}, number = {3}, pages = {349-352}, pmid = {31912608}, issn = {1750-2659}, support = {BB/L018993/1/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; 1681346/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; Bangladesh/epidemiology ; Birds/*virology ; Chickens/virology ; Crows/*virology ; Female ; Humans ; Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype/classification/genetics/*isolation &amp; purification ; Influenza in Birds/epidemiology/*transmission/virology ; Influenza, Human/epidemiology/*transmission/virology ; Male ; Poultry Diseases/epidemiology/*transmission/virology ; Viral Zoonoses/epidemiology/transmission/virology ; Young Adult ; }, abstract = {In response to unusual crow die-offs from avian influenza A(H5N1) virus infection during January-February 2017 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, a One Health team assessed potential infection risks in live bird markets (LBMs). Evidence of aerosolized avian influenza A viruses was detected in LBMs and in the respiratory tracts of market workers, indicating exposure and potential for infection. This study highlighted the importance of surveillance platforms with a coordinated One Health strategy to investigate and mitigate zoonotic risk.}, }
@article {pmid31912522, year = {2020}, author = {Spanoudis, CG and Andreadis, SS and Bray, DP and Savopoulou-Soultani, M and Ignell, R}, title = {Behavioural response of the house mosquitoes Culex quinquefasciatus and Culex pipiens molestus to avian odours and its reliance on carbon dioxide.}, journal = {Medical and veterinary entomology}, volume = {34}, number = {2}, pages = {129-137}, doi = {10.1111/mve.12429}, pmid = {31912522}, issn = {1365-2915}, mesh = {Animals ; Carbon Dioxide/*metabolism ; *Chemotaxis ; Chickens/metabolism ; Columbidae/metabolism ; Culex/*physiology ; Feeding Behavior ; Female ; Male ; Odorants/*analysis ; Songbirds/metabolism ; Species Specificity ; }, abstract = {How Culex (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes select and discriminate between potential avian hosts is critical for understanding the epidemiology of West Nile virus. Therefore, the present authors studied the behavioural responses of Culex quinquefasciatus (Say) and Culex pipiens molestus (Forsskål) to headspace volatiles of three avian species [chicken and pigeon (sexes analysed separately), and magpie], presented either alone or in combination with 600 p.p.m. carbon dioxide (CO2). The attraction of Cx. quinquefasciatus to the headspace volatiles of both sexes of chicken, and of female pigeon, in combination with CO2 was significantly higher than that achieved by the CO2 and solvent control. Although Cx. p. molestus was attracted to headspace volatiles of chickens and magpies, it was repelled by those of female pigeons when combined with CO2 . An increased effect between the avian volatiles and CO2 was observed for Cx. quinquefasciatus, whereas the addition of CO2 had no effect on the attraction of Cx. p. molestus females. The results of this study demonstrate that Cx. quinquefasciatus and Cx. p. molestus are attracted to the odour of potential avian hosts. Future studies aimed at identifying the bioactive volatile compounds in the headspace of chickens may contribute to the potential development of effective surveillance and control tools against Culex species.}, }
@article {pmid31893686, year = {2019}, author = {Abadi, SH and Wacker, DW and Newton, JG and Flett, D}, title = {Acoustic localization of crows in pre-roost aggregations.}, journal = {The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America}, volume = {146}, number = {6}, pages = {4664}, doi = {10.1121/1.5138133}, pmid = {31893686}, issn = {1520-8524}, abstract = {Crows are highly intelligent and social creatures. Each night during the non-breeding period, they gather on large pre-roost aggregations as they move towards their communal roost where they sleep. Crows make numerous and varied vocalizations on these pre-roost aggregations, but the purpose of these calls, and vocal communication in general, in these pre-roost aggregations is not fully understood. In this paper, an array of four microphones is used as a non-intrusive means to observe crow vocal behavior in pre-roost aggregations in the absence of human observers. By passively localizing animal vocalizations, the location of individuals can be monitored while simultaneously recording the acoustic structure and organization of their calls. Simulations and experiment are undertaken to study the performance of two time difference of arrival-based methods (hyperbolic location estimator and maximum likelihood estimator) for call localization. The effect of signal-to-noise ratio and uncertainty in measurement on the localization error is presented. By describing, modeling, and testing these techniques in this innovative context, the authors hope that researchers will employ the authors' approaches in future empirical studies to more fully understand crow vocal behavior.}, }
@article {pmid33818453, year = {2020}, author = {Sharti, M and Amouakbari, MJ and Pourjabari, K and Hashemzadeh, MS and Tat, M and Omidifar, A and Dorostkar, R}, title = {Detection of West Nile virus by real-time PCR in crows in northern provinces of Iran.}, journal = {Journal of vector borne diseases}, volume = {57}, number = {1}, pages = {37-39}, doi = {10.4103/0972-9062.308797}, pmid = {33818453}, issn = {0972-9062}, mesh = {Animals ; Crows/*virology ; Genome, Viral ; Geography ; Iran/epidemiology ; Phylogeny ; RNA, Viral/genetics ; *Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Seasons ; West Nile Fever/*epidemiology/transmission/*veterinary ; West Nile virus/classification/*genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND &amp; OBJECTIVES: West Nile virus (WNV) is a positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virion, that belongs to the Flaviviridae family. This virus is preserved in a bird-mosquito cycle that is capable of inducing diseases as a dead-end or endpoint host in humans as well as horses. In 2016, a suspicious case of crow population death was reported by the Department of Environment, Ministry of Health, Iran. Considering the mass migration of birds together with the WNV-related symptoms, including uncoordinated walking, ataxia, inability to fly, lack of awareness, and abnormal body posture, it was necessary to further investigate the possible causes of this incident. The objective of this study was molecular detection of WNV in crows utilizing the real-time PCR method in the northern provinces of Iran.<br><br>METHODS: A total of 12 crows (8 dead, 4 alive) with a possible WNV infection, were collected from the northern provinces of Iran (Golestan, Mazandaran, and Guilan). A tissue sample of the liver, kidney, or lung was collected from all the crows, and RNA was isolated using an RNA extraction kit. A one-step real-time PCR method using a TaqMan probe was used for virus detection.<br><br>RESULTS: All the infected crows were positive for WNV. The 132-bp real-time PCR amplicon of the genome was detected in all the samples. Comparative phylogenetic analysis revealed that WNV isolated from Iran clustered with strains from the USA, Hungary, and Culex pipiens.<br><br>The WNV genome sequence was detected in all the infected crows. The results confirmed the connection of this isolation with clade1a strains. Hence, determining the epidemiologic and prevalence characteristics of the WNV for transmission control is of critical importance in Iran.}, }
@article {pmid33776292, year = {2020}, author = {Kumar, A and Singh, AR and Jahan, M}, title = {Application of mindfulness on stress, anxiety, and well-being in an adolescent student: A case study.}, journal = {Industrial psychiatry journal}, volume = {29}, number = {1}, pages = {165-170}, pmid = {33776292}, issn = {0972-6748}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Stress and anxiety are the major problems students face in their lives and specifically in their academic life, which, in turn, has a significant negative impact on their academic performance. There are different approaches to deal with stress and anxiety, for example, cognitive behavioral therapy and relaxation techniques.<br><br>OBJECTIVE: The present study was conducted to evaluate the applicability of mindfulness on stress, anxiety, and psychological well-being in an adolescent student.<br><br>METHODS: In this study, single-case study design was used. The Pediatric Symptoms Checklist, Youth Self-Report, Institute of Personality and Ability Testing Anxiety Scale, and Checklist of Psychological Well-Being were administered on ten adolescent students. After the initial assessment, one participant was selected who was having significant level of stress, anxiety, and poor psychological well-being. Further detailed assessment was done using the Raven Standard Progressive Matrices, Parents' Observation Checklist, Teachers' Observation Checklist, and Students' Self-Observation Checklist. The student underwent 24 sessions of mindfulness training with a frequency of three sessions in a week. After completion of sessions, post assessment was done. He was re-assessed after 3 months.<br><br>RESULTS: After completion of mindfulness training, improvement was observed in stress, anxiety, well-being, and other variables, and the improvement was maintained till follow-up.<br><br>CONCLUSION: Mindfulness training has the potential in effectively reducing stress and anxiety and increasing a sense of well-being, but the major barrier is getting fixated with an idea of what's the right way to do mindfulness and feel it.}, }
@article {pmid31879592, year = {2020}, author = {Irie, T and Uraguchi, K and Ito, T and Yamazaki, A and Takai, S and Yagi, K}, title = {First report of Sarcocystis pilosa sporocysts in feces from red fox, Vulpes vulpes schrencki, in Hokkaido, Japan.}, journal = {International journal for parasitology. Parasites and wildlife}, volume = {11}, number = {}, pages = {29-31}, pmid = {31879592}, issn = {2213-2244}, abstract = {Sarcocysts of various Sarcocystis spp. are highly prevalent in wild sika deer, Cervus nippon yesoensis, in Hokkaido, Japan, and four species have been identified based on morphological and molecular characteristics: S. ovalis, S. pilosa, S. tarandi-like, and S. truncata-like. The definitive hosts of S. ovalis are corvids, but the hosts of the other species have not yet been identified. Aiming to determine the definitive hosts of these species, we collected 65 red fox (Vulpes vulpes schrencki) fecal samples in eastern Hokkaido and examined them for fecal sporocysts using a modified sucrose flotation method. One fecal sample contained typical Sarcocystis sporocysts, which were identified as S. pilosa based on 18S ribosomal RNA and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene sequences. This is the first identification of S. pilosa sporocysts in the wild. These findings indicate that red foxes serve as a definitive host of S. pilosa, and that red foxes constitute a source of S. pilosa infection for deer in Hokkaido.}, }
@article {pmid31875855, year = {2019}, author = {Ashton, BJ and Thornton, A and Ridley, AR}, title = {Larger group sizes facilitate the emergence and spread of innovations in a group-living bird.}, journal = {Animal behaviour}, volume = {158}, number = {}, pages = {1-7}, pmid = {31875855}, issn = {0003-3472}, abstract = {The benefits of group living have traditionally been attributed to risk dilution or the efficient exploitation of resources; individuals in social groups may therefore benefit from access to valuable information. If sociality facilitates access to information, then individuals in larger groups may be predicted to solve novel problems faster than individuals in smaller groups. Additionally, larger group sizes may facilitate the subsequent spread of innovations within animal groups, as has been proposed for human societies. We presented a novel foraging task (where a food reward could be accessed by pushing a self-shutting sliding door) to 16 groups of wild, cooperatively breeding Australian magpies, Cracticus tibicen dorsalis, ranging in size from two to 11 individuals. We found a nonlinear decline in the time taken for the innovative behaviour to emerge with increasing group size, and social information use facilitated the transmission of novel behaviour, with it spreading more quickly in larger than smaller groups. This study provides important evidence for a nonlinear relationship between group size and the emergence of innovation (and its subsequent transmission) in a wild population of animals. Further work investigating the scope and strength of group size-innovation relationships, and the mechanisms underpinning them, will help us understand the potential advantages of living in larger social groups.}, }
@article {pmid31984131, year = {2019}, author = {Wick, RR and Holt, KE}, title = {Benchmarking of long-read assemblers for prokaryote whole genome sequencing.}, journal = {F1000Research}, volume = {8}, number = {}, pages = {2138}, doi = {10.12688/f1000research.21782.4}, pmid = {31984131}, issn = {2046-1402}, mesh = {Benchmarking ; *Genomics ; *High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Whole Genome Sequencing ; }, abstract = {Background: Data sets from long-read sequencing platforms (Oxford Nanopore Technologies and Pacific Biosciences) allow for most prokaryote genomes to be completely assembled - one contig per chromosome or plasmid. However, the high per-read error rate of long-read sequencing necessitates different approaches to assembly than those used for short-read sequencing. Multiple assembly tools (assemblers) exist, which use a variety of algorithms for long-read assembly. Methods: We used 500 simulated read sets and 120 real read sets to assess the performance of eight long-read assemblers (Canu, Flye, Miniasm/Minipolish, NECAT, NextDenovo/NextPolish, Raven, Redbean and Shasta) across a wide variety of genomes and read parameters. Assemblies were assessed on their structural accuracy/completeness, sequence identity, contig circularisation and computational resources used. Results: Canu v2.1 produced reliable assemblies and was good with plasmids, but it performed poorly with circularisation and had the longest runtimes of all assemblers tested. Flye v2.8 was also reliable and made the smallest sequence errors, though it used the most RAM. Miniasm/Minipolish v0.3/v0.1.3 was the most likely to produce clean contig circularisation. NECAT v20200803 was reliable and good at circularisation but tended to make larger sequence errors. NextDenovo/NextPolish v2.3.1/v1.3.1 was reliable with chromosome assembly but bad with plasmid assembly. Raven v1.3.0 was reliable for chromosome assembly, though it did not perform well on small plasmids and had circularisation issues. Redbean v2.5 and Shasta v0.7.0 were computationally efficient but more likely to produce incomplete assemblies. Conclusions: Of the assemblers tested, Flye, Miniasm/Minipolish, NextDenovo/NextPolish and Raven performed best overall. However, no single tool performed well on all metrics, highlighting the need for continued development on long-read assembly algorithms.}, }
@article {pmid31847851, year = {2019}, author = {Ben-David, A and Shamon, H and Izhaki, I and Efronny, R and Maor, R and Dayan, T}, title = {Increased songbird nest depredation due to Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) encroachment in Mediterranean shrubland.}, journal = {BMC ecology}, volume = {19}, number = {1}, pages = {52}, pmid = {31847851}, issn = {1472-6785}, mesh = {Animals ; Nesting Behavior ; *Passeriformes ; *Pinus ; Predatory Behavior ; *Songbirds ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: In recent decades, a decrease of passerine densities was documented in Mediterranean shrublands. At the same time, a widespread encroachment of Aleppo pines (Pinus halepensis) to Mediterranean shrubland occurred. Such changes in vegetation structure may affect passerine predator assemblage and densities, and in turn impact passerine densities. Depredation during the nesting season is an important factor to influence passerine population size. Understanding the effects of changes in vegetation structure (pine encroachment) on passerine nesting success is the main objective of this study. We do so by assessing the effects of Aleppo pine encroachment on Sardinian warbler (Sylvia melanocephala) nest depredation in Mediterranean shrublands. We examined direct and indirect predation pressures through a gradients of pine density, using four methods: (1) placing dummy nests; (2) acoustic monitoring of mobbing events; (3) direct observations on nest predation using cameras; and (4) observation of Eurasian jay (Garrulus glandarius) behaviour as indirect evidence of predation risk.<br><br>RESULTS: We found that Aleppo pine encroachment to Mediterranean shrublands increased nest predation by Eurasian jays. Nest predation was highest in mixed shrubland and pines. These areas are suitable for warblers but had high occurrence rate of Eurasian jays.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Encroaching pines directly increase activity of Eurasian jays in shrubland habitats, which reduced the nesting success of Sardinian warblers. These findings are supported by multiple methodologies, illustrating different predation pressures along a gradient of pine densities in natural shrublands. Management of Aleppo pine seedlings and removal of unwanted trees in natural shrubland might mitigate arrival and expansion of predators and decrease the predation pressure on passerine nests.}, }
@article {pmid31847421, year = {2019}, author = {Michałowska, J and Tofil, A and Józwik, J and Pytka, J and Legutko, S and Siemiątkowski, Z and Łukaszewicz, A}, title = {Monitoring the Risk of the Electric Component Imposed on a Pilot During Light Aircraft Operations in a High-Frequency Electromagnetic Field.}, journal = {Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)}, volume = {19}, number = {24}, pages = {}, pmid = {31847421}, issn = {1424-8220}, support = {contract no.030/RID/2018/19//Lublin University of Technology - Regional Excellence Initiative, funded by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education/ ; }, mesh = {*Aircraft ; *Electromagnetic Fields ; Humans ; Radiation Dosimeters ; Radio Waves ; }, abstract = {High-frequency electromagnetic fields can have a negative effect on both the human body and electronic devices. The devices and systems utilized in radio communications constitute the most numerous sources of electromagnetic fields. The following research investigates values of the electric component of electromagnetic field intensification determined with the ESM 140 dosimeter during the flights of four aircrafts-Cessna C152, Cessna C172, Aero AT3 R100, and Robinson R44 Raven helicopter-from the airport in Depultycze Krolewskie near Chelm, Poland. The point of reference for the obtained results were the normative limits of the electromagnetic field that can affect a pilot in the course of a flight. The maximum value registered by the dosimeter was E = 3.307 V/m for GSM 1800 frequencies.}, }
@article {pmid31841482, year = {2019}, author = {Lisukha, LM and Kolpakov, IY}, title = {STATE OF COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS IN CHILDREN WITH PATHOLOGY OF DIGESTIVE ORGANS, WHO LIVE AT RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATED TERRITORIES OF UKRAINE.}, journal = {Problemy radiatsiinoi medytsyny ta radiobiolohii}, volume = {24}, number = {}, pages = {395-410}, doi = {10.33145/2304-8336-2019-24-395-410}, pmid = {31841482}, issn = {2313-4607}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Anxiety/*etiology/physiopathology ; *Chernobyl Nuclear Accident ; Child ; Cognition/radiation effects ; Digestive System/pathology/physiopathology/radiation effects ; Dyspepsia/*etiology/physiopathology ; Fatigue/*etiology/physiopathology ; Female ; Gastritis/*etiology/physiopathology ; Humans ; Male ; Memory, Long-Term/radiation effects ; Nervous System/pathology/physiopathology/radiation effects ; Neurasthenia/*etiology/physiopathology ; Pain/*etiology/physiopathology ; Radiation Exposure/adverse effects ; Radioactive Fallout/adverse effects ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Ukraine ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVE: to study the state of cognitive functions in children who were born and permanently live at radioactive contaminated territories (RCT) with pathology of the upper digestive tract, using pathopsychological testing; to increase the effectiveness of treatment and prophylactic measures aimed at preserving and restoring the health of RCT residents.<br><br>DESIGN, PATIENTS AND METHODS: A randomized blind controlled clinical trial was conducted. There were examined, a total of 90 persons aged 6 to 17 years (35 boys and 55 girls) who were divided into two groups: the control group (I) included 30 persons of the conventional «clean» territories, and the main group (II) - 60 patients with patho- logy of the digestive organs who were born and live at the RCT. The study program included: the collection of anam- nesis, complaints; clinical and instrumental examinations. The following tests were applied by us: «What things are hidden in the drawings», Toulouse-Pieron, Raven, and Luria testing. For detecting the anxiety level, and the subjec- tive signs of autonomic dysfunctions were used the Spilberg-Hanin self-diagnosis and the Wein questionnaire, respectively.<br><br>RESULTS: It was shown that in children aged 6-11 years, according to the results of the Toulouse-Pieron test, speed of cognitive information-processing was significantly decreased by 7.17 conventional units, while on the back- ground of the etiopathogenetic treatment of the digestive tract - by 10.24 conventional units relative to the va- lues of the control group. The long-term memory was statistically significantly decreased in the examined children of senior school age (from 12 to 17 years). A significant increase in reactive anxiety and a reverse correlation between the personal anxiety (PA) and speed of cognitive information-processing (r = -0.331) were recorded in patients aged 6-11 years. In older patients, PA was increased.Сonclusions. The obtained results indicate that the state of cognitive functions was characterized by a decrease in speed of cognitive information-processing, long-term memory and a high level of anxiety in children aged from 6 to 17 years residents of RСT with pathology of digestive organs, according to the used testing.}, }
@article {pmid31838886, year = {2020}, author = {Shrader-Frechette, K and Meade, T}, title = {Using routine, independent, scientific-data audits as an early-warning for potentially fraudulent toxic-site cleanup: PCE, TCE, and other VOCs at the former Naval-Ordnance Test Station, Pasadena, California.}, journal = {Accountability in research}, volume = {27}, number = {1}, pages = {1-31}, doi = {10.1080/08989621.2019.1695200}, pmid = {31838886}, issn = {1545-5815}, mesh = {California ; Environmental Restoration and Remediation/*standards ; *Fraud ; Hazardous Waste Sites/*standards ; Humans ; Management Audit/*organization &amp; administration/standards ; Tetrachloroethylene/*analysis ; Trichloroethylene/*analysis ; Volatile Organic Compounds/analysis ; }, abstract = {Two of the most prevalent Superfund-site contaminants are carcinogenic solvents PCE (perchloroethylene) and TCE (trichloroethylene). Because their cleanup is difficult and costly, remediators have repeatedly falsified site-cleanup data, as Tetra Tech apparently did recently in San Francisco. Especially for difficult-to-remediate toxins, this paper hypothesizes that scientific misrepresentations occur in toxic-site assessments, before remediation even begins. To begin to test this hypothesis, the paper (1) defines scientific-data audits (assessing whether published conclusions contradict source data), (2) performs a preliminary scientific-data audit of toxic-site assessments by consultants Ninyo and Moore for developer Trammell Crow. Trammel Crow wants to build 550 apartments on an unremediated Pasadena, California site - once a premier US Navy weapons-testing/development facility. The paper (3) examines four key Ninyo-and-Moore conclusions, that removing only localized metals-hotspots will (3.1) remediate TCE/PCE; (3.2) leave low levels of them; (3.3) clean the northern half of soil, making it usable for grading, and (3.4) ensure site residents have lifetime cancer risks no greater than 1 in 3,000. The paper (4) shows that source data contradict all four conclusions. After summarizing the benefits of routine, independent, scientific-data audits (RISDA), the paper (5) argues that, if these results are generalizable, RISDA might help prevent questionable toxic-site assessments, especially those of expensive-to-remediate toxins like PCE/TCE.}, }
@article {pmid31830510, year = {2020}, author = {Tätte, K and Møller, AP and Mänd, R}, title = {Corvids exhibit dynamic risk assessment during escape.}, journal = {Behavioural processes}, volume = {170}, number = {}, pages = {104017}, doi = {10.1016/j.beproc.2019.104017}, pmid = {31830510}, issn = {1872-8308}, mesh = {Animals ; Crows/*physiology ; Ecosystem ; Humans ; Population ; Predatory Behavior ; *Risk-Taking ; Species Specificity ; }, abstract = {It is widely accepted that stationary prey are able to carefully assess the risk levels associated with an approaching predator to make informative decisions on when to escape. However, little is known about subsequent decision-making process. We set out to compare whether escape durations of three species of corvids differ depending on how a human observer (in the role of a predator) behaves after the escape has begun. When birds were being followed during escape, escape durations were the longest, escape trajectory was modified the most during escape, and a larger proportion of individuals changed from terrestrial to aerial escape strategy compared to observations where birds were not followed. Mean horizontal escape angle of ca 120° was also a potential indication that monitoring the threat is taken into account when deciding on the escape trajectory. While there were some differences between the behaviour of these three closely related species, the general patterns supported the notion that birds dynamically assess risk during escape to find an optimal balance between getting caught and spending too much time and energy on escaping. Further research using different predator-prey combinations or making comparisons between habitats could help understand the generality of our results.}, }
@article {pmid31827631, year = {2019}, author = {Davis, BJK and Curriero, FC}, title = {Development and Evaluation of Geostatistical Methods for Non-Euclidean-Based Spatial Covariance Matrices.}, journal = {Mathematical geosciences}, volume = {51}, number = {6}, pages = {767-791}, pmid = {31827631}, issn = {1874-8961}, support = {R01 AI123931/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; }, abstract = {Customary and routine practice of geostatistical modeling assumes that inter-point distances are a Euclidean metric (i.e., as the crow flies) when characterizing spatial variation. There are many real-world settings, however, in which the use of a non-Euclidean distance is more appropriate, for example in complex bodies of water. However, if such a distance is used with current semivariogram functions, the resulting spatial covariance matrices are no longer guaranteed to be positive-definite. Previous attempts to address this issue for geostatistical prediction (i.e., kriging) models transform the non-Euclidean space into a Euclidean metric, such as through multi-dimensional scaling (MDS). However, these attempts estimate spatial covariances only after distances are scaled. An alternative method is proposed to re-estimate a spatial covariance structure originally based on a non-Euclidean distance metric to ensure validity. This method is compared to the standard use of Euclidean distance, as well as a previously utilized MDS method. All methods are evaluated using cross-validation assessments on both simulated and real-world experiments. Results show a high level of bias in prediction variance for the previously developed MDS method that has not been highlighted previously. Conversely, the proposed method offers a preferred tradeoff between prediction accuracy and prediction variance and at times outperforms the existing methods for both sets of metrics. Overall results indicate that this proposed method can provide improved geostatistical predictions while ensuring valid results when the use of non-Euclidean distances is warranted.}, }
@article {pmid31826758, year = {2019}, author = {Osvath, M and Kabadayi, C}, title = {A theory stuck in evolutionary and historical time.}, journal = {The Behavioral and brain sciences}, volume = {42}, number = {}, pages = {e268}, doi = {10.1017/S0140525X19000359}, pmid = {31826758}, issn = {1469-1825}, mesh = {*Cognition ; *Emotions ; }, abstract = {We argue that the two temporal cognition systems are conceptually too confined to be helpful in understanding the evolution of temporal cognition. In fact, we doubt there are two systems. In relation to this, we question that the authors did not describe the results of our planning study on ravens correctly, as this is of consequence to their theory.}, }
@article {pmid31805246, year = {2019}, author = {Gustafsson, DR and Bush, SE}, title = {The Genus Brueelia (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera: Philopteridae) of North American Jays and Allies (Aves: Passeriformes: Corvidae), with Descriptions of Five New Species.}, journal = {The Journal of parasitology}, volume = {105}, number = {6}, pages = {893-903}, pmid = {31805246}, issn = {1937-2345}, mesh = {Animals ; Bird Diseases/*parasitology ; Crows/parasitology ; Female ; Ischnocera/anatomy &amp; histology/*classification ; Lice Infestations/parasitology/*veterinary ; Male ; North America ; Passeriformes/*parasitology ; }, abstract = {Five new species of chewing lice in the genus Brueelia Kéler, 1936 , are described from North American jays and allies. They are Brueelia mexicana n. sp. from Aphelocoma woodhouseii cyanotis Ridgway, 1887 ; Brueelia bonnevillensis n. sp. from Aphelocoma woodhouseii nevadae Pitelka, 1945 ; Brueelia diblasiae n. sp. from Cyanocitta stelleri frontalis (Ridgway, 1873); Brueelia tempestwilliamsae n. sp. from Gymnorhinus cyanocephala Wied-Neuwied, 1841 ; Brueelia mcnewae n. sp. from Nucifraga columbiana (Wilson, 1811). An identification key to the Brueelia on corvid hosts is provided.}, }
@article {pmid31788195, year = {2019}, author = {Chiffard, J and Delestrade, A and Yoccoz, NG and Loison, A and Besnard, A}, title = {Warm temperatures during cold season can negatively affect adult survival in an alpine bird.}, journal = {Ecology and evolution}, volume = {9}, number = {22}, pages = {12531-12543}, pmid = {31788195}, issn = {2045-7758}, abstract = {Climate seasonality is a predominant constraint on the lifecycles of species in alpine and polar biomes. Assessing the response of these species to climate change thus requires taking into account seasonal constraints on populations. However, interactions between seasonality, weather fluctuations, and population parameters remain poorly explored as they require long-term studies with high sampling frequency. This study investigated the influence of environmental covariates on the demography of a corvid species, the alpine chough Pyrrhocorax graculus, in the highly seasonal environment of the Mont Blanc region. In two steps, we estimated: (1) the seasonal survival of categories of individuals based on their age, sex, etc., (2) the effect of environmental covariates on seasonal survival. We hypothesized that the cold season-and more specifically, the end of the cold season (spring)-would be a critical period for individuals, and we expected that weather and individual covariates would influence survival variation during critical periods. We found that while spring was a critical season for adult female survival, it was not for males. This is likely because females are dominated by males at feeding sites during snowy seasons (winter and spring), and additionally must invest energy in egg production. When conditions were not favorable, which seemed to happen when the cold season was warmer than usual, females probably reached their physiological limits. Surprisingly, adult survival was higher at the beginning of the cold season than in summer, which may result from adaptation to harsh weather in alpine and polar vertebrates. This hypothesis could be confirmed by testing it with larger sets of populations. This first seasonal analysis of individual survival over the full life cycle in a sedentary alpine bird shows that including seasonality in demographic investigations is crucial to better understand the potential impacts of climate change on cold ecosystems.}, }
@article {pmid31784911, year = {2020}, author = {Wang, R and Chen, B and Li, Y and Wang, T and Ding, W}, title = {Complete genomic sequence of crow-dipper mosaic-associated virus, a novel macluravirus infecting Pinellia ternata.}, journal = {Archives of virology}, volume = {165}, number = {2}, pages = {491-494}, doi = {10.1007/s00705-019-04471-y}, pmid = {31784911}, issn = {1432-8798}, support = {2016-I2M-3-017//Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences/ ; }, mesh = {Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; China ; Crows/virology ; Genome Size/genetics ; Genome, Viral/*genetics ; Genomics/methods ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing/methods ; Mosaic Viruses/*genetics ; Phylogeny ; Pinellia/*virology ; Plant Diseases/virology ; Polyproteins/genetics ; Potyviridae/*genetics ; RNA, Viral/genetics ; Satellite Viruses/*genetics ; Viral Proteins/genetics ; }, abstract = {A new macluravirus infecting Pinellia ternata in China was identified by high-throughput sequencing (HTS) and tentatively named "crow-dipper mosaic-associated virus" (CrdMV). The complete genome sequence of CrdMV was determined by reverse transcription (RT) PCR and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) PCR. The genomic RNA of CrdMV consists of 8,454 nucleotides (nt), excluding the poly(A) tail at the 3' end. CrdMV has a genomic structure typical of macluraviruses, with large open reading frame encoding a polyprotein of 2,696 amino acids (aa). CrdMV shares 54.40%-59.37% nt sequence identity at the genome sequence level, 48.00%-58.58% aa sequence identity, at the polyprotein sequence level and 37.27%-49.22% aa sequence identity at the CP sequence level with other members of the genus Macluravirus. These values are well below the species demarcation threshold for the family Potyviridae. Phylogenetic analysis based on the amino acid sequences of polyproteins confirmed that CrdMV clusters closely with broad-leafed dock virus A (BDVA, GenBank accession no. KU053507). These results suggest that CrdMV should be considered a distinct member of the genus Macluravirus.}, }
@article {pmid31767092, year = {2019}, author = {Ziegler, U and Fischer, D and Eiden, M and Reuschel, M and Rinder, M and Müller, K and Schwehn, R and Schmidt, V and Groschup, MH and Keller, M}, title = {Sindbis virus- a wild bird associated zoonotic arbovirus circulates in Germany.}, journal = {Veterinary microbiology}, volume = {239}, number = {}, pages = {108453}, doi = {10.1016/j.vetmic.2019.108453}, pmid = {31767092}, issn = {1873-2542}, mesh = {Alphavirus Infections/epidemiology/transmission/*virology ; Animals ; Antibodies, Viral/blood ; Bird Diseases/epidemiology/transmission/*virology ; Birds/virology ; Genotype ; Germany/epidemiology ; Humans ; Mosquito Vectors/*virology ; Phylogeny ; Sindbis Virus/*classification/genetics/physiology ; Zoonoses/epidemiology/transmission/*virology ; }, abstract = {Sindbis virus (SINV) is an arbovirus causing clinical symptoms such as arthritis, rash and fever following human infections in Fennoscandia. Its transmission cycle involves mosquito species as vectors as well as wild birds that act as natural reservoir hosts. In Germany, SINV was first time observed in 2009 in different mosquito species in the Upper Rhine valley and one year later in a hooded crow in Berlin. Recently, SINV was also detected repeatedly at various locations in Germany in the context of a mosquitoes monitoring program for arboviruses. In this study, we detected for just the second time a SINV infection in a diseased wild bird (common wood pigeon) from Central Europe. SINV was isolated by cell culture and the complete SINV genome sequence was determined. Phylogenetic analyses revealed a close affiliation to SINV genotype I with a high similarity to human isolate sequences from Finland, Sweden and Russia. The isolate was genetically distinct from the first avian isolate suggesting the circulation of at least two different SINV strains in Germany. In order to reveal the infection frequency in SINV positive mosquito regions 749 bird blood samples were assayed serologically and SINV antibodies found primarily in resident birds. SINV is therefore endemically circulating in mosquitoes in Germany, which results in occasional bird infections. No data are yet available on zoonotic transmission to humans.}, }
@article {pmid31762100, year = {2020}, author = {Jokimäki, J and Suhonen, J and Benedetti, Y and Diaz, M and Kaisanlahti-Jokimäki, ML and Morelli, F and Pérez-Contreras, T and Rubio, E and Sprau, P and Tryjanowski, P and Ibánez-Álamo, JD}, title = {Land-sharing vs. land-sparing urban development modulate predator-prey interactions in Europe.}, journal = {Ecological applications : a publication of the Ecological Society of America}, volume = {30}, number = {3}, pages = {e02049}, doi = {10.1002/eap.2049}, pmid = {31762100}, issn = {1051-0761}, mesh = {Animals ; Biodiversity ; *Birds ; Cats ; Cities ; Ecosystem ; Europe ; Humans ; Nesting Behavior ; Predatory Behavior ; *Urban Renewal ; }, abstract = {Urban areas are expanding globally as a consequence of human population increases, with overall negative effects on biodiversity. To prevent the further loss of biodiversity, it is urgent to understand the mechanisms behind this loss to develop evidence-based sustainable solutions to preserve biodiversity in urban landscapes. The two extreme urban development types along a continuum, land-sparing (large, continuous green areas and high-density housing) and land-sharing (small, fragmented green areas and low-density housing) have been the recent focus of debates regarding the pattern of urban development. However, in this context, there is no information on the mechanisms behind the observed biodiversity changes. One of the main mechanisms proposed to explain urban biodiversity loss is the alteration of predator-prey interactions. Using ground-nesting birds as a model system and data from nine European cities, we experimentally tested the effects of these two extreme urban development types on artificial ground nest survival and whether nest survival correlates with the local abundance of ground-nesting birds and their nest predators. Nest survival (n = 554) was lower in land-sharing than in land-sparing urban areas. Nest survival decreased with increasing numbers of local predators (cats and corvids) and with nest visibility. Correspondingly, relative abundance of ground-nesting birds was greater in land-sparing than in land-sharing urban areas, though overall bird species richness was unaffected by the pattern of urban development. We provide the first evidence that predator-prey interactions differ between the two extreme urban development types. Changing interactions may explain the higher proportion of ground-nesting birds in land-sparing areas, and suggest a limitation of the land-sharing model. Nest predator control and the provision of more green-covered urban habitats may also improve conservation of sensitive birds in cities. Our findings provide information on how to further expand our cities without severe loss of urban-sensitive species and give support for land-sparing over land-sharing urban development.}, }
@article {pmid31761457, year = {2020}, author = {Hirschl, RB and Newman, E and Cooke-Barber, J and Garcia, V}, title = {APSA 5.0: Saving even more lifetimes the Jay and Margie Grosfeld presidential symposium.}, journal = {Journal of pediatric surgery}, volume = {55}, number = {1}, pages = {2-17}, doi = {10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2019.10.004}, pmid = {31761457}, issn = {1531-5037}, mesh = {Humans ; Pediatrics/*organization &amp; administration ; Poverty ; Racism ; United States ; }, abstract = {In light of APSA's 50th Anniversary, the typical Presidential Address was transformed into a "symposium" consisting of talks on the maturation of our organization to APSA 5.0 and the issues and opportunities related to its internal and external environment, especially as they apply to our pediatric surgical patients. Speakers included the President and experts in the fields of diversity, as well as inequity and poverty in the United States.}, }
@article {pmid31754855, year = {2020}, author = {Liu, D and Brice, B and Elliot, A and Ryan, U and Yang, R}, title = {Molecular and morphological analysis of a Caryospora-like isolate (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from the magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca) (Latham, 1801) in Western Australia.}, journal = {Parasitology research}, volume = {119}, number = {2}, pages = {611-621}, pmid = {31754855}, issn = {1432-1955}, mesh = {Animals ; Bird Diseases/*parasitology ; DNA, Protozoan ; Eimeriidae/*classification/cytology/isolation &amp; purification ; Female ; Male ; Oocysts/classification ; Phylogeny ; RNA, Ribosomal, 18S/genetics ; RNA, Ribosomal, 28S/genetics ; Songbirds/*parasitology ; Sporozoites ; Western Australia ; }, abstract = {A new Caryospora-like isolate is described from a magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca) in Western Australia. Sporulated oocysts of the Caryospora-like isolate (n = 35) are subspherical with a shape index of 1.13 ((21.5 (19.7-23.6) × 19.0 (18.1-19.8) μm). The bilayered oocyst wall is smooth. Micropyle, polar granule and oocyst residuum are absent. The sporocyst is ellipsoidal, 18.9 (17.2-20.8) × 12.3 (11.9-12.8) μm, with a shape index (length/width) of 1.54. The sporocyst wall is bilayered. Stieda and substieda bodies are present, the Stieda body is small and flattened and the substieda is trapezoidal. Sporocyst with eight sporozoites arranged head to tail. The sporozoites are vermiform, 18.9 (17.2-20.8) × 12.3 (11.9-12.8) μm and have striations at the anterior end. Each sporozoite has both anterior and posterior refractile bodies. A sporocyst residuum is present. Molecular characterization of the isolated Caryospora-like oocysts was conducted at the 18S ribosomal RNA and the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase (COI) loci. At the 18S rRNA locus, the Caryospora-like isolate exhibited 88.8% to 96.5% similarity with other Caryospora spp. from different hosts. At the COI locus, it showed 91.5% similarity to Caryospora cf. bigenetica JB-2013 (KF859856) from the rattlesnake, Sistrurus catenatus.}, }
@article {pmid31753993, year = {2019}, author = {Klump, BC}, title = {Of crows and tools.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {366}, number = {6468}, pages = {965}, doi = {10.1126/science.aaz7775}, pmid = {31753993}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; *Crows ; Feeding Behavior ; Hawaii ; New Caledonia ; *Tool Use Behavior ; }, }
@article {pmid31749114, year = {2019}, author = {Lambert, CT and Sewall, KB and Guillette, LM}, title = {Questioning the developmental effects of group size on cognitive abilities.}, journal = {Learning &amp; behavior}, volume = {47}, number = {4}, pages = {280-283}, pmid = {31749114}, issn = {1543-4508}, mesh = {Animals ; Australia ; *Birds ; Cognition ; *Learning ; }, abstract = {Australian magpies living in larger social groups learned quicker and made fewer errors across four cognitive tasks compared with birds living in smaller social groups, and this pattern may be driven by a developmental effect associated with the cognitive demands of living in larger groups. While Smulders (2018, Learning and Behavior, 1-2, doi:10.3758/s13420-018-0335-0) questioned whether this group size-cognitive performance pattern was driven by motivation rather than cognitive abilities, we question whether there is truly evidence of a developmental effect and whether the relationship between group size and cognitive performance can be explained in other ways. We highlight potential alternative explanations for the relationship between group size and cognitive performance and highlight some of the theoretical issues underlying the developmental effects of group size on cognitive abilities.}, }
@article {pmid31742538, year = {2019}, author = {Valiakos, G and Plavos, K and Vontas, A and Sofia, M and Giannakopoulos, A and Giannoulis, T and Spyrou, V and Tsokana, CN and Chatzopoulos, D and Kantere, M and Diamantopoulos, V and Theodorou, A and Mpellou, S and Tsakris, A and Mamuris, Z and Billinis, C}, title = {Phylogenetic Analysis of Bird-Virulent West Nile Virus Strain, Greece.}, journal = {Emerging infectious diseases}, volume = {25}, number = {12}, pages = {2323-2325}, pmid = {31742538}, issn = {1080-6059}, mesh = {Animals ; Bird Diseases/epidemiology/*virology ; Birds/virology ; Disease Outbreaks ; Genome, Viral ; Genomics/methods ; Greece/epidemiology ; Humans ; Phylogeny ; West Nile Fever/*veterinary ; West Nile virus/*drug effects/*genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; }, abstract = {We report the full polyprotein genomic sequence of a West Nile virus strain isolated from Eurasian magpies dying with neurologic signs in Greece. Our findings demonstrate the local genetic evolution of the West Nile virus strain responsible for a human disease outbreak in the country that began in 2010.}, }
@article {pmid31736887, year = {2019}, author = {Du, J and Luo, J and Huang, J and Wang, C and Li, M and Wang, B and Wang, B and Chang, H and Ji, J and Sen, K and He, H}, title = {Emergence of Genetic Diversity and Multi-Drug Resistant Campylobacter jejuni From Wild Birds in Beijing, China.}, journal = {Frontiers in microbiology}, volume = {10}, number = {}, pages = {2433}, pmid = {31736887}, issn = {1664-302X}, abstract = {Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) is considered as an opportunistic zoonotic pathogen that may cause gastroenteritis in humans and other animals. Wild birds may be as potential vectors of C. jejuni around urban and suburban areas. Here, 520 samples were collected from 33 wild bird species in urban and suburban areas, Beijing. In total 57 C. jejuni were isolated from seven species. It was found that Nineteen (33.33%, 19/57) isolates were resistant to at least one of 11 antibiotics, especially streptomycin (36.84%) and four isolates resistant to all. Nineteen (33.33%, 19/57) isolates were multi-drug resistance. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) analysis of the isolates showed that 36 different sequence types (STs) belonged to four Clonal complexes and unassigned. Twenty STs (55.56%) and six alleles among them were first detected. Virulence genes including flaA, cadF, and the cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) gene cluster, were detected in all isolates, but truncated cdt gene clusters only detected in the isolates from the crow, daurian jackdaw and silver pheasant. In conclusion, it was the first detection of C. jejuni involved truncated cdt gene clusters from the silver pheasant. These wild birds around urban and suburban areas may pose potential public health problems as reservoir vectors of C. jejuni.}, }
@article {pmid31735150, year = {2020}, author = {Nieder, A and Mooney, R}, title = {The neurobiology of innate, volitional and learned vocalizations in mammals and birds.}, journal = {Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences}, volume = {375}, number = {1789}, pages = {20190054}, pmid = {31735150}, issn = {1471-2970}, support = {R01 DC013826/DC/NIDCD NIH HHS/United States ; R01 MH117778/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; R01 NS099288/NS/NINDS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Birds/physiology ; Brain Mapping ; Emotions ; Female ; Humans ; Language ; Learning/*physiology ; Male ; Mammals ; Motor Cortex ; *Neurobiology ; Neurons ; Phylogeny ; Primates ; Prosencephalon/anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Songbirds/anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Vocalization, Animal/*physiology ; Volition/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Vocalization is an ancient vertebrate trait essential to many forms of communication, ranging from courtship calls to free verse. Vocalizations may be entirely innate and evoked by sexual cues or emotional state, as with many types of calls made in primates, rodents and birds; volitional, as with innate calls that, following extensive training, can be evoked by arbitrary sensory cues in non-human primates and corvid songbirds; or learned, acoustically flexible and complex, as with human speech and the courtship songs of oscine songbirds. This review compares and contrasts the neural mechanisms underlying innate, volitional and learned vocalizations, with an emphasis on functional studies in primates, rodents and songbirds. This comparison reveals both highly conserved and convergent mechanisms of vocal production in these different groups, despite their often vast phylogenetic separation. This similarity of central mechanisms for different forms of vocal production presents experimentalists with useful avenues for gaining detailed mechanistic insight into how vocalizations are employed for social and sexual signalling, and how they can be modified through experience to yield new vocal repertoires customized to the individual's social group. This article is part of the theme issue 'What can animal communication teach us about human language?'}, }
@article {pmid31734863, year = {2020}, author = {Gjerde, B and de la Fuente, C and Alunda, JM and Luzón, M}, title = {Molecular characterisation of five Sarcocystis species in domestic sheep (Ovis aries) from Spain.}, journal = {Parasitology research}, volume = {119}, number = {1}, pages = {215-231}, pmid = {31734863}, issn = {1432-1955}, mesh = {Animals ; Cyclooxygenase 1/genetics ; DNA, Protozoan/genetics ; Female ; Phylogeny ; Protozoan Proteins/genetics ; RNA, Ribosomal/genetics ; Sarcocystis/*classification/*genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; Sarcocystosis/epidemiology/parasitology/*veterinary ; Sequence Analysis, DNA/veterinary ; Sheep ; Sheep Diseases/epidemiology/*parasitology ; Sheep, Domestic ; Spain/epidemiology ; }, abstract = {The major aim of the present study was to determine by molecular methods whether the wide and narrow types of macroscopic sarcocysts in Spanish sheep belonged to different species, that is, Sarcocystis gigantea and Sarcocystis medusiformis, respectively. Additionally, we wanted to identify and characterize molecularly the species forming microscopic sarcocysts and determine the phylogenetic placement of all species found. Portions of the oesophagus, diaphragm and hind legs containing macroscopic sarcocysts were collected from slaughtered culled ewes at an abattoir in the Province of Madrid, Central Spain, but both macroscopic and microscopic sarcocysts were isolated for molecular examination. Genomic DNA from 63 sarcocysts (21 macroscopic, 42 microscopic) were examined at the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (cox1), while selected isolates of each species found were further examined at the 18S and 28S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. The 63 sarcocysts comprised five cox1 sequence types, each corresponding to a particular sarcocyst type, and thus represented five Sarcocystis spp. The slender fusiform and thick macrocysts belonged to S. medusiformis and S. gigantea, respectively. The microscopic sarcocysts belonged to Sarcocystis arieticanis, Sarcocystis tenella and a Sarcocystis mihoensis-like species with slanting thorn-like cyst wall protrusions, which was characterised molecularly for the first time. Based on its phylogenetic position, the S. mihoensis-like species probably uses corvids as definitive hosts.}, }
@article {pmid31729384, year = {2019}, author = {Ling, H and Mclvor, GE and Westley, J and van der Vaart, K and Vaughan, RT and Thornton, A and Ouellette, NT}, title = {Behavioural plasticity and the transition to order in jackdaw flocks.}, journal = {Nature communications}, volume = {10}, number = {1}, pages = {5174}, pmid = {31729384}, issn = {2041-1723}, mesh = {Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; Computer Simulation ; Crows/*physiology ; Models, Biological ; Social Behavior ; Spatial Behavior ; }, abstract = {Collective behaviour is typically thought to arise from individuals following fixed interaction rules. The possibility that interaction rules may change under different circumstances has thus only rarely been investigated. Here we show that local interactions in flocks of wild jackdaws (Corvus monedula) vary drastically in different contexts, leading to distinct group-level properties. Jackdaws interact with a fixed number of neighbours (topological interactions) when traveling to roosts, but coordinate with neighbours based on spatial distance (metric interactions) during collective anti-predator mobbing events. Consequently, mobbing flocks exhibit a dramatic transition from disordered aggregations to ordered motion as group density increases, unlike transit flocks where order is independent of density. The relationship between group density and group order during this transition agrees well with a generic self-propelled particle model. Our results demonstrate plasticity in local interaction rules and have implications for both natural and artificial collective systems.}, }
@article {pmid31726310, year = {2020}, author = {Sarker, S and Batinovic, S and Talukder, S and Das, S and Park, F and Petrovski, S and Forwood, JK and Helbig, KJ and Raidal, SR}, title = {Molecular characterisation of a novel pathogenic avipoxvirus from the Australian magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen).}, journal = {Virology}, volume = {540}, number = {}, pages = {1-16}, doi = {10.1016/j.virol.2019.11.005}, pmid = {31726310}, issn = {1096-0341}, mesh = {Animals ; Australia ; Avipoxvirus/*classification/*genetics/isolation &amp; purification/ultrastructure ; Base Sequence ; Bird Diseases/*virology ; Birds/*virology ; Computational Biology/methods ; Data Curation ; Evolution, Molecular ; Genome, Viral ; Genomics/methods ; Phylogeny ; Poxviridae Infections/*veterinary ; Whole Genome Sequencing ; }, abstract = {Avipoxviruses are significant pathogens infecting a wide range of wild and domestic bird species globally. Here, we describe a novel genome sequence of magpiepox virus (MPPV) isolated from an Australian magpie. In the present study, histopathologically confirmed cutaneous pox lesions were used for transmission electron microscopic analysis, which demonstrated brick-shaped virions with regular spaced thread-like ridges, indicative of likely infectious particles. Subsequent analysis of the recovered MPPV genome positioned phylogenetically to a distinct sub-clade with the recently isolated avipoxvirus genome sequences from shearwater and canary bird species, and demonstrates a high degree of sequence similarity with CNPV (96.14%) and SWPV-2 (95.87%). The novel MPPV complete genome is missing 19 genes with a further 41 genes being truncated/fragmented compared to SWPV-2 and contains nine predicted unique genes. This is the first avipoxvirus complete genome sequence that infects Australian magpie.}, }
@article {pmid31725325, year = {2020}, author = {Kenny, SC}, title = {Capturing Racial Pathology: American Medical Photography in the Era of Jim Crow.}, journal = {American journal of public health}, volume = {110}, number = {1}, pages = {75-83}, doi = {10.2105/AJPH.2019.305357}, pmid = {31725325}, issn = {1541-0048}, mesh = {African Americans/*history ; *History of Medicine ; History, 19th Century ; Humans ; New Orleans ; Photography/*history ; United States ; }, abstract = {This article focuses on the untapped, complicated, fragile, and fluid visual archives of the elite White surgeon Rudolph Matas, a large proportion of which was produced during the late 19th and early 20th century, a time when he was a resident at New Orleans' Charity Hospital in Louisiana and a professor of general and clinical surgery at Tulane University's Medical Department. The article's main aim is to understand the role of visual materials in the production, uses, circulation, and impact of a form of knowledge that Matas termed "racial pathology." A small but representative sample of visual materials from the Matas collection are placed in context and examined in order to make known this untold chapter from the life story of "one of the great pioneers" in American surgery. The article reveals that many of the photographs were most significant in having been produced and assembled in parallel with the making, publication, dissemination, reception, and use of Matas' racialized medical research, in particular his influential 1896 pamphlet, The Surgical Peculiarities of the American Negro.}, }
@article {pmid31722895, year = {2019}, author = {}, title = {"Cellular mechanisms underlying steroid-resistant asthma." Ridhima Wadhwa, Kamal Dua, Ian M. Adcock, Jay C. Horvat, Richard Y. Kim and Philip M. Hansbro. Eur Respir Rev 2019; 28: 190021.}, journal = {European respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society}, volume = {28}, number = {154}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1183/16000617.5096-2019}, pmid = {31722895}, issn = {1600-0617}, }
@article {pmid31717721, year = {2019}, author = {Anand, PK and Shin, DR and Saxena, N and Memon, ML}, title = {Accelerated Reliability Growth Test for Magnetic Resonance Imaging System Using Time-of-Flight Three-Dimensional Pulse Sequence.}, journal = {Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)}, volume = {9}, number = {4}, pages = {}, doi = {10.3390/diagnostics9040164}, pmid = {31717721}, issn = {2075-4418}, abstract = {A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system is a complex, high cost, and long-life product. It is a widely known fact that performing a system reliability test of a MRI system during the development phase is a challenging task. The major challenges include sample size, high test cost, and long test duration. This paper introduces a novel approach to perform a MRI system reliability test in a reasonably acceptable time with one sample size. Our approach is based on an accelerated reliability growth test, which consists of test cycle made of a very high-energy time-of-flight three-dimensional (TOF3D) pulse sequence representing an actual hospital usage scenario. First, we construct a nominal day usage scenario based on actual data collected from an MRI system used inside the hospital. Then, we calculate the life-time stress based on a usage scenario. Finally, we develop an accelerated reliability growth test cycle based on a TOF3D pulse sequence that exerts highest vibration energy on the gradient coil and MRI system. We use a vibration energy model to map the life-time stress and reduce the test duration from 537 to 55 days. We use a Crow AMSAA plot to demonstrate that system design reaches its useful life after crossing the infant mortality phase.}, }
@article {pmid31712656, year = {2019}, author = {Krasheninnikova, A and Brucks, D and Buffenoir, N and Rivas Blanco, D and Soulet, D and von Bayern, A}, title = {Parrots do not show inequity aversion.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {9}, number = {1}, pages = {16416}, pmid = {31712656}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Animals ; *Behavior, Animal ; *Parrots ; *Social Behavior ; Species Specificity ; }, abstract = {Inequity aversion, the negative reaction to unequal treatment, is considered a mechanism for stabilizing cooperative interactions between non-kin group members. However, this might only be adaptive for species that switch cooperative partners. Utilizing a comparative approach, inequity aversion has been assessed in many mammalian species and recently also in corvids and one parrot species, kea, revealing mixed results. To broaden our knowledge about the phylogenetic distribution of inequity aversion, we tested four parrot species in the token exchange paradigm. We varied the quality of rewards delivered to dyads of birds, as well as the effort required to obtain a reward. Blue-headed macaws and African grey parrots showed no reaction to being rewarded unequally. The bigger macaws were less willing to exchange tokens in the "unequal" condition compared to the "equal high" condition in which both birds obtained high quality rewards, but a closer examination of the results and the findings from the control conditions reveal that inequity aversion does not account for it. None of the species responded to inequity in terms of effort. Parrots may not exhibit inequity aversion due to interdependence on their life-long partner and the high costs associated with finding a new partner.}, }
@article {pmid31706170, year = {2019}, author = {Tallarita, GM and Parente, A and Giovagnoli, AR}, title = {The visuospatial pattern of temporal lobe epilepsy.}, journal = {Epilepsy &amp; behavior : E&amp;B}, volume = {101}, number = {Pt A}, pages = {106582}, doi = {10.1016/j.yebeh.2019.106582}, pmid = {31706170}, issn = {1525-5069}, mesh = {Adult ; Analysis of Variance ; Case-Control Studies ; Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe/*pathology ; Female ; Functional Laterality ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods ; Male ; Memory Disorders/pathology ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Temporal Lobe/*pathology ; }, abstract = {PURPOSE: Unlike temporal lobe lesions, temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) has no definite effects on visuospatial functions. This retrospective study evaluated these functions in patients with TLE, aiming to clarify their relationships to TLE laterality and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-detected brain lesions.<br><br>METHODS: The Raven Colored Progressive Matrices (RCPM), Attentive Matrices (AM), Trail Making Test A (TMTA), Street Completion Test (SCT), Rey Complex Figure Copying (RCFC) and Delayed Reproduction (RCFDR), and Corsi Blocks Span (CBS) and Supraspan Learning (CBSSL) were used to assess different visuospatial functions in 198 patients with TLE and 90 healthy subjects.<br><br>RESULTS: In 169 patients (83 left), MRI revealed focal temporal lobe lesions [unilateral mesial temporal lobe sclerosis (MTLS) in 88 cases]. The patients with left or right TLE obtained normal scores on the RCPM, AM, TMTA, SCT, and RCFC, but their scores were significantly low on the CBS, CBSSL, and RCFDR. The patients with MTLS obtained lower scores in comparison with the controls and the patients without lesions, whereas those with other lesions obtained low scores only on the CBSSL and those without lesions performed normally.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Temporal lobe epilepsy does not affect nonmemory visuospatial functions but significantly impairs visuosopatial memory and learning. This pattern is independent of TLE laterality, in keeping with a modality-specific memory model. On the contrary, the type of temporal lobe lesion is relevant to the severity of impairment.}, }
@article {pmid31699762, year = {2019}, author = {Carter, MQ and Pham, A and Carychao, DK and Cooley, MB}, title = {Complete Genome Sequences of Two Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Strains Isolated from Crows.}, journal = {Microbiology resource announcements}, volume = {8}, number = {45}, pages = {}, pmid = {31699762}, issn = {2576-098X}, abstract = {Escherichia coli strains RM9088 and RM10410 were isolated from crows near a leafy greens-growing region in California in April and July 2009, respectively. Both strains carry genes encoding Shiga toxins and other virulence factors in enteric pathogens. Here, we report the complete genome sequences of RM9088 and RM10410.}, }
@article {pmid31690210, year = {2019}, author = {Coomes, JR and McIvor, GE and Thornton, A}, title = {Correction to 'Evidence for individual discrimination and numerical assessment in collective antipredator behaviour in wild jackdaws (Corvus monedula)'.}, journal = {Biology letters}, volume = {15}, number = {11}, pages = {20190740}, doi = {10.1098/rsbl.2019.0740}, pmid = {31690210}, issn = {1744-957X}, }
@article {pmid31685854, year = {2019}, author = {Holtmann, B and Buskas, J and Steele, M and Sokolovskis, K and Wolf, JBW}, title = {Dominance relationships and coalitionary aggression against conspecifics in female carrion crows.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {9}, number = {1}, pages = {15922}, pmid = {31685854}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {*Aggression ; Animals ; Crows/*physiology ; Female ; *Social Dominance ; Videotape Recording ; Vocalization, Animal ; }, abstract = {Cooperation is a prevailing feature of many animal systems. Coalitionary aggression, where a group of individuals engages in coordinated behaviour to the detriment of conspecific targets, is a form of cooperation involving complex social interactions. To date, evidence has been dominated by studies in humans and other primates with a clear bias towards studies of male-male coalitions. We here characterize coalitionary aggression behaviour in a group of female carrion crows consisting of recruitment, coordinated chase, and attack. The individual of highest social rank liaised with the second most dominant individual to engage in coordinated chase and attack of a lower ranked crow on several occasions. Despite active intervention by the third most highly ranked individual opposing the offenders, the attack finally resulted in the death of the victim. All individuals were unrelated, of the same sex, and naïve to the behaviour excluding kinship, reproduction, and social learning as possible drivers. Instead, the coalition may reflect a strategy of the dominant individual to secure long-term social benefits. Overall, the study provides evidence that members of the crow family engage in coordinated alliances directed against conspecifics as a possible means to manipulate their social environment.}, }
@article {pmid31668669, year = {2020}, author = {Tanner, EM and Hallerbäck, MU and Wikström, S and Lindh, C and Kiviranta, H and Gennings, C and Bornehag, CG}, title = {Early prenatal exposure to suspected endocrine disruptor mixtures is associated with lower IQ at age seven.}, journal = {Environment international}, volume = {134}, number = {}, pages = {105185}, doi = {10.1016/j.envint.2019.105185}, pmid = {31668669}, issn = {1873-6750}, support = {R01 ES028811/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Benzhydryl Compounds ; Child ; Endocrine Disruptors ; Female ; Humans ; Intelligence Tests ; Male ; Mothers ; Pregnancy ; *Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; Triclosan ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are xenobiotics with the ability to interfere with hormone action, even at low levels. Prior environmental epidemiology studies link numerous suspected EDCs, including phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA), to adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. However, results for some chemicals were inconsistent and most assessed one chemical at a time.<br><br>OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the overall impact of prenatal exposure to an EDC mixture on neurodevelopment in school-aged children, and identify chemicals of concern while accounting for co-exposures.<br><br>METHODS: Among 718 mother-child pairs from the Swedish Environmental Longitudinal, Mother and child, Asthma and allergy study (SELMA) study, we used Weighted Quantile Sum (WQS) regression to assess the association between 26 EDCs measured in 1st trimester urine or blood, with Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (IV) Intelligence Quotient (IQ) scores at age 7 years. Models were adjusted for child sex, gestational age, mother's education, mother's IQ (RAVEN), weight, and smoking status. To evaluate generalizability, we conducted repeated holdout validation, a machine learning technique.<br><br>RESULTS: Using repeated holdout validation, IQ scores were 1.9-points (CI = -3.6, -0.2) lower among boys for an inter-quartile-range (IQR) change in the WQS index. BPF made the largest contribution to the index with a weight of 14%. Other chemicals of concern and their weights included PBA (9%), TCP (9%), MEP (6%), MBzP (4%), PFOA (6%), PFOS (5%), PFHxS (4%), Triclosan (5%), and BPA (4%). While we did observe an inverse association between EDCs and IQ among all children when training and testing the WQS index estimate on the full dataset, these results were not robust to repeated holdout validation.<br><br>CONCLUSION: Among boys, early prenatal exposure to EDCs was associated with lower intellectual functioning at age 7. We identified bisphenol F as the primary chemical of concern, suggesting that the BPA replacement compound may not be any safer for children. Future studies are needed to confirm the potential neurotoxicity of replacement analogues.}, }
@article {pmid31645214, year = {2020}, author = {Schoener, ER and Tompkins, DM and Parker, KA and Howe, L and Castro, I}, title = {Presence and diversity of mixed avian Plasmodium spp. infections in introduced birds whose distribution overlapped with threatened New Zealand endemic birds.}, journal = {New Zealand veterinary journal}, volume = {68}, number = {2}, pages = {101-106}, doi = {10.1080/00480169.2019.1680326}, pmid = {31645214}, issn = {1176-0710}, mesh = {Animals ; *Birds ; *Endangered Species ; *Genetic Variation ; *Introduced Species ; Malaria, Avian/epidemiology/*parasitology ; New Zealand/epidemiology ; Plasmodium/*classification ; }, abstract = {Aims: To determine the presence of infection and co-infection of Plasmodium lineages in introduced birds at translocation sites for the North Island saddleback (Philesturnus rufusater), to investigate their role as Plasmodium spp. reservoirs.Methods: Blood samples were collected from introduced bird species, with a special focus on blackbirds (Turdus merula) and song thrushes (Turdus philomelos), at six locations in the North Island of New Zealand that were the origin, or translocation sites, for North Island saddleback. Where available, blood smears were examined, and blood samples were tested using nested PCR with subsequent sequence analysis, for the presence of Plasmodium spp.Results: Of the 55 samples tested using PCR analysis, 39 (71%) were positive for Plasmodium spp., and 28/40 (62%) blood smears were positive for Plasmodium spp. Overall, 31 blood samples were from blackbirds with 28/31 (90%) samples positive for Plasmodium spp. Six distinct avian Plasmodium lineages were identified, including three cosmopolitan lineages; Plasmodium vaughani SYAT05 was detected in 16 samples, Plasmodium matutinum Linn1 in 10 samples and Plasmodium elongatum GRW6 in eight samples. Mixed infections with more than one lineage were detected in 12 samples. Samples from two Australian magpies (Gymnorhina tibicen) were positive for Plasmodium. sp. lineage MYNA02, previously not identified in New Zealand.Conclusions and clinical relevance: This is the first report from New Zealand in which specific Plasmodium spp. mixed infections have been found in introduced birds. Co-infections with several cosmopolitan Plasmodium lineages were identified, as well as the first report in New Zealand of an exotic avian Plasmodium sp. lineage, in Australian magpies. Whilst the role of introduced birds in maintaining and spreading pathogenic avian malaria in New Zealand is unclear, there is a potential infection risk to native birds, especially where distributions overlap.}, }
@article {pmid31640502, year = {2019}, author = {Ling, H and Mclvor, GE and Westley, J and van der Vaart, K and Yin, J and Vaughan, RT and Thornton, A and Ouellette, NT}, title = {Collective turns in jackdaw flocks: kinematics and information transfer.}, journal = {Journal of the Royal Society, Interface}, volume = {16}, number = {159}, pages = {20190450}, pmid = {31640502}, issn = {1742-5662}, mesh = {Animals ; Crows/*physiology ; Flight, Animal/*physiology ; *Models, Biological ; *Social Behavior ; }, abstract = {The rapid, cohesive turns of bird flocks are one of the most vivid examples of collective behaviour in nature, and have attracted much research. Three-dimensional imaging techniques now allow us to characterize the kinematics of turning and their group-level consequences in precise detail. We measured the kinematics of flocks of wild jackdaws executing collective turns in two contexts: during transit to roosts and anti-predator mobbing. All flocks reduced their speed during turns, probably because of constraints on individual flight capability. Turn rates increased with the angle of the turn so that the time to complete turns remained constant. We also find that context may alter where turns are initiated in the flocks: for transit flocks in the absence of predators, initiators were located throughout the flocks, but for mobbing flocks with a fixed ground-based predator, they were always located at the front. Moreover, in some transit flocks, initiators were far apart from each other, potentially because of the existence of subgroups and variation in individual interaction ranges. Finally, we find that as the group size increased the information transfer speed initially increased, but rapidly saturated to a constant value. Our results highlight previously unrecognized complexity in turning kinematics and information transfer in social animals.}, }
@article {pmid31637735, year = {2020}, author = {Nielsen, T and Kreiner, S and Teasdale, TW}, title = {Assessment of cognitive ability at conscription for the Danish army: Is a single total score sufficient?.}, journal = {Scandinavian journal of psychology}, volume = {61}, number = {2}, pages = {161-167}, doi = {10.1111/sjop.12586}, pmid = {31637735}, issn = {1467-9450}, mesh = {Adult ; Cognition/*physiology ; Denmark ; Humans ; Intelligence/*physiology ; Intelligence Tests ; Male ; Military Personnel/*psychology ; Psychometrics ; }, abstract = {Børge Priens Prøve (BPP) was developed for the Danish Army by psychologist Børge Prien in the 1950s, as a test of general cognitive ability for use at conscription for the Danish armed forces. The final BPP (1957) had four subtests; a Raven-like matrix subtest, and three subtests measuring verbal, numerical, and visuospatial ability. The BPP is a speeded test counting the number of correct responses within 45 minutes. Thus, we consider the BPP as a measure of "cognitive efficiency" rather than a pure measure of cognitive ability. The BPP is still in use.Using techniques available in 1960, Rasch concluded that the matrices and numerical tests appeared to satisfy the requirements of the Rasch (Probabilistic models for some intelligence and attainment tests, Danish Institute for Educational Research, Copenhagen; 1960) model, while the verbal and visuospatial tests did not. Since then, there have been, to our knowledge, no published studies of the psychometric scaling properties of the BPP, partly because the practice of the Danish draft board has been to record only the total score. We examine these properties by analysis of data from two cohorts (n = 9,491), using the Leunbach (A probabilistic measurement model for assessing whether two tests measure the same personal factor. The Danish Institute of Educational, Copenhagen, Denmark; 1976) model to assess whether the sum of the four subtests provides a statistically sufficient measure of a common latent trait. Since we found only weak evidence against fit to the Leunbach model, we claim that this warrants the use of a summarized total BPP score. We examined whether BPP subscales suffered from differential test functioning (DTF) relative to samples. Weak, and for practical purposes too weak, DTF was suggested for one subscale.}, }
@article {pmid31633794, year = {2020}, author = {Kutschera, VE and Poelstra, JW and Botero-Castro, F and Dussex, N and Gemmell, NJ and Hunt, GR and Ritchie, MG and Rutz, C and Wiberg, RAW and Wolf, JBW}, title = {Purifying Selection in Corvids Is Less Efficient on Islands.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {37}, number = {2}, pages = {469-474}, pmid = {31633794}, issn = {1537-1719}, mesh = {Animals ; Evolution, Molecular ; Genetic Fitness ; Life History Traits ; Models, Genetic ; *Mutation ; Passeriformes/classification/*genetics ; Phylogeny ; Population Density ; Selection, Genetic ; Whole Genome Sequencing/*veterinary ; }, abstract = {Theory predicts that deleterious mutations accumulate more readily in small populations. As a consequence, mutation load is expected to be elevated in species where life-history strategies and geographic or historical contingencies reduce the number of reproducing individuals. Yet, few studies have empirically tested this prediction using genome-wide data in a comparative framework. We collected whole-genome sequencing data for 147 individuals across seven crow species (Corvus spp.). For each species, we estimated the distribution of fitness effects of deleterious mutations and compared it with proxies of the effective population size Ne. Island species with comparatively smaller geographic range sizes had a significantly increased mutation load. These results support the view that small populations have an elevated risk of mutational meltdown, which may contribute to the higher extinction rates observed in island species.}, }
@article {pmid31631901, year = {2019}, author = {Hudson, TB and Auwaijan, N and Yuan, FG}, title = {Guided Wave-based System for Real-time Cure Monitoring of Composites using Piezoelectric Discs and Phase-shifted Fiber Bragg Gratings.}, journal = {Journal of composite materials}, volume = {53}, number = {7}, pages = {969-979}, pmid = {31631901}, issn = {0021-9983}, support = {//Langley Research Center NASA/United States ; }, abstract = {A real-time, in-process cure monitoring system employing a guided wave-based concept for carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites was developed. The system included a single piezoelectric disc that was bonded to the surface of the composite for excitation, and an embedded phase-shifted fiber Bragg grating (PS-FBG) for sensing. The PS-FBG almost simultaneously measured both quasi-static strain and the ultrasonic guided wave-based signals throughout the cure cycle. A traditional FBG was also used as a base for evaluating the high sensitivity of the PS-FBG sensor. Composite physical properties (degree of cure and glass transition temperature) were correlated to the amplitude and time of arrival of the guided wave-based measurements during the cure cycle. In addition, key state transitions (gelation and vitrification) were identified from the experimental data. The physical properties and state transitions were validated using cure process modeling software (e.g., RAVEN®). This system demonstrated the capability of using an embedded PS-FBG to sense a wide bandwidth of signals during cure. The distinct advantages of a fiber optic-based system include multiplexing of multiple gratings along a single optical fiber, small size compared to piezoelectric sensors, ability to embed or surface mount, utilization in harsh environments, electrically passive operation, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) immunity. The embedded PS-FBG fiber optic sensor can monitor the entire life-cycle of the composite structure from curing, post-cure/assembly, and in-service creating "smart structures".}, }
@article {pmid31630344, year = {2020}, author = {Miller, R and Frohnwieser, A and Schiestl, M and McCoy, DE and Gray, RD and Taylor, AH and Clayton, NS}, title = {Delayed gratification in New Caledonian crows and young children: influence of reward type and visibility.}, journal = {Animal cognition}, volume = {23}, number = {1}, pages = {71-85}, pmid = {31630344}, issn = {1435-9456}, support = {3399933//FP7 Ideas: European Research Council/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Cebus ; *Crows ; *Delay Discounting ; Humans ; Reward ; *Self-Control ; }, abstract = {Self-control underlies cognitive abilities such as decision making and future planning. Delay of gratification is a measure of self-control and involves obtaining a more valuable outcome in the future by tolerating a delay or investing a greater effort in the present. Contextual issues, such as reward visibility and type, may influence delayed gratification performance, although there has been limited comparative investigation between humans and other animals, particularly non-primate species. Here, we adapted an automated 'rotating tray' paradigm used previously with capuchin monkeys to test for delay of gratification ability that requires little pre-test training, where the subject must forgo an immediate, less preferred reward for a delayed, more preferred one. We tested New Caledonian crows and 3-5-year-old human children. We manipulated reward types to differ in quality or quantity (Experiments 1 and 2) as well as visibility (Experiment 2). In Experiments 1 and 2, both species performed better when the rewards varied in quality as opposed to quantity, though performed above chance in both conditions. In Experiment 1, both crows and children were able to delay gratification when both rewards were visible. In Experiment 2, 5-year-old children outperformed 3- and 4-year olds, though overall children still performed well, while the crows struggled when reward visibility was manipulated, a result which may relate to difficulties in tracking the experimenters' hands during baiting. We discuss these findings in relation to the role of contextual issues on self-control when making species comparisons and investigating the mechanisms of self-control.}, }
@article {pmid31622915, year = {2019}, author = {Held, S and Hallett, J and Schure, M and Knows His Gun McCormick, A and Allen, S and Milne-Price, S and Trottier, C and Bull Shows, B and Other Medicine, L and Inouye, J}, title = {Improving chronic illness self-management with the Apsáalooke Nation: Development of the Báa nnilah program.}, journal = {Social science &amp; medicine (1982)}, volume = {242}, number = {}, pages = {112583}, pmid = {31622915}, issn = {1873-5347}, support = {P20 GM103474/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; U01 MD010619/MD/NIMHD NIH HHS/United States ; U54 GM104944/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Chronic Disease/ethnology/psychology/*therapy ; Community-Based Participatory Research ; Humans ; Indians, North American/ethnology/*psychology/statistics &amp; numerical data ; Interviews as Topic/methods ; Montana/ethnology ; Qualitative Research ; Self-Management/*psychology/statistics &amp; numerical data ; Universities/organization &amp; administration/statistics &amp; numerical data ; }, abstract = {RATIONALE: Since 1996, members of the Apsáalooke (Crow) Nation and faculty and students at Montana State University have worked in a successful community-based participatory research (CBPR) partnership, leading to increased trust and improvements in health awareness, knowledge, and behaviors. As major barriers to health and healthy behaviors have caused inequities in morbidity and mortality rates for multiple chronic diseases among the Apsáalooke people, community members chose to focus the next phase of research on improving chronic illness management.<br><br>OBJECTIVE: Existing chronic illness self-management programs include aspects inconsonant with Apsáalooke culture and neglect local factors seen as vital to community members managing their health conditions. The aim of this study was to use CBPR methods grounded in Apsáalooke cultural values to develop an intervention for improving chronic illness self-management.<br><br>METHOD: Community members shared stories about what it is like to manage their chronic illness, including facilitators and barriers to chronic illness management. A culturally consonant data analysis method was used to develop a locally-based conceptual framework for understanding chronic illness management and an intervention grounded in the local culture.<br><br>RESULTS: Components of the intervention approach and intervention content are detailed and similarities and differences from other chronic illness management programs are described.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our collaborative process and product may be helpful for other communities interested in using story data to develop research projects, deepen their understanding of health, and increase health equity.}, }
@article {pmid31617250, year = {2020}, author = {El-Sayed, AK and Hassan, S}, title = {Gross morphological features of the air sacs of the hooded crow (Corvus cornix).}, journal = {Anatomia, histologia, embryologia}, volume = {49}, number = {2}, pages = {159-166}, doi = {10.1111/ahe.12504}, pmid = {31617250}, issn = {1439-0264}, mesh = {Air Sacs/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Animals ; Birds ; Bronchi/anatomy &amp; histology ; Crows/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Lung/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Air sacs are considered to be one of the controlling factors of bird behaviour and habits in addition to their roles in ventilation, regulating body temperature, swimming and flight. As a scavenger and an omnivorous flight bird, air sacs of the hooded crow were the focus of this study. Eight healthy, adult hooded crows were used to examine the morphological characteristics of the air sacs, which were examined grossly and with latex and cast preparations. In general, the morphological overview of the hooded crow air sacs is similar to other avian species. We observed nine air sacs; four paired sacs (cervical, cranial thoracic, caudal thoracic and abdominal air sacs) and one unpaired sac; the clavicular air sac. The cervical air sac communicated to the lung through the medioventral bronchus and had three diverticula; intermuscular, subscapular and subcutaneous. The clavicular air sac communicated with lung through the medioventral bronchus and had subscapular, axillary, humeral, subpectoral and sternal diverticula. The cranial and caudal thoracic air sacs were communicated with lung through the lateroventral bronchi and the both sacs did not have any diverticula. The abdominal air sacs were posterior to the caudal thoracic air sacs. The left abdominal sac was the largest air sac. The right and left abdominal sacs gave off branches to diverticula that pneumatized synsacrum. The abdominal air sacs gave off femoral diverticula behind the hip joint as well as perirenal diverticula.}, }
@article {pmid31612638, year = {2020}, author = {Daneau, S and Bourbonnais, A and Legault, A}, title = {Surrogates' end-of-life decision-making process in nursing homes for residents with a neurocognitive disorder: An integrative review.}, journal = {International journal of older people nursing}, volume = {15}, number = {1}, pages = {e12274}, doi = {10.1111/opn.12274}, pmid = {31612638}, issn = {1748-3743}, support = {//Quebec Network on Nursing Intervention Research/ ; //Research Chair in Nursing Care for Older People and their Families/ ; //Faculty of Nursing at Université de Montréal/ ; //Minister of Education and Higher Education - Québec/ ; }, mesh = {Aged ; *Decision Making ; Family/*psychology ; Female ; *Homes for the Aged ; Humans ; Male ; Neurocognitive Disorders/*nursing ; *Nursing Homes ; *Proxy ; Terminal Care/*psychology ; Uncertainty ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVE: The goal of this review is to analyse articles on the experience of surrogates who find themselves making end-of-life decisions for a relative with a major neurocognitive disorder in a nursing home.<br><br>DESIGN: An integrative review of the literature based on Whittemore and Knafl's method.<br><br>DATA SOURCES: This review used the CINAHL, PubMed, PsycInfo, Embase and Web of Science databases. A complementary search was also conducted via citation pearl searching, and the reference lists from the selected articles were manually verified.<br><br>REVIEW METHOD: The quality of the selected articles was assessed using the Crow Critical Appraisal Tool, and the data were extracted systematically and were then organised according to Mishel's uncertainty in illness theory. The data that did not correspond to any concept of the theory were excluded at this stage. Analysis was conducted using the method put forward by Miles, Huberman and Saldaña.<br><br>RESULTS: A total of 18 articles were selected: 11 qualitative, 5 quantitative and 1 using a mixed method, as well as 1 ethical argument. The subjects arising from the analysis of the articles were the types of decisions made, the support available for the surrogates, the role and involvement of the surrogates in the process and the factors that influence the decisions.<br><br>CONCLUSION: The results of this integrative review stimulate reflection on the needs of family members involved in making decisions, as well as on the nursing practice and research. Published literature is mainly from North America, and thus, more research is needed to better understand the impact of cultural and ethnic differences in the process, which was poorly covered by the existing literature. Also, exploring nurses' involvement in supporting surrogates may eventually better equip nurses for their interventions with surrogates.<br><br>IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Describing the illness progression and the signification of palliative care to the resident with a NCD and their surrogate decision makers, as well as discussing end-of-life care preferences as early as possible are all nursing interventions that could potentially enhance surrogates' end-of-life decision-making proc