Losses of female song with changes from tropical to temperate breeding in the New World blackbirds

Birds in which both sexes produce complex songs are thought to be more common in the tropics than in temperate areas, where typically only males sing. Yet the role of phylogeny in this apparent relationship between female song and latitude has never been examined. Here, we reconstruct evolutionary changes in female song and breeding latitude in the New World blackbirds (Icteridae), a family with both temperate and tropical representatives. We provide strong evidence that members of this group have moved repeatedly from tropical to temperate breeding ranges and, furthermore, that these range shifts were associated with losses of female song more often than expected by chance. This historical perspective suggests that male-biased song production in many temperate species is the result not of sexual selection for complex song in males but of selection against such songs in females. Our results provide new insights into the differences we see today between tropical and temperate songbirds, and suggest that the role of sexual selection in the evolution of bird song might not be as simple as we think.     

Variations of rest-activity rhythm and sleep-wake in schizophrenic patients versus healthy subjects: An actigraphic comparative study

The objective of the present study was to compare the pattern of motor activity in unmedicated schizophrenia patients and healthy subjects, and to examine whether the pattern was affected by treatment with typical and atypical antipsychotics. Twenty unmedicated schizophrenic patients wore a wrist actigraph for five days. The actigraph recorded activity levels in one-minute epochs. Patients' pattern of activity was compared with that of healthy subjects. Patients were randomly assigned to treatment with low-dose haloperidol or risperidone. The impact of treatment on the pattern of activity was examined. Compared to controls, untreated patients showed a diminished mean activity count during morning, early and late night periods. Treatment with haloperidol or risperidone at effective doses showed a significant effect on activity level, being more prominent with haloperidol. The results suggest that unmedicated schizophrenic patients exhibit abnormally low levels of motor activity as measured with an objective activity meter. This persists after antipsychotic treatment even though symptoms improve. Future studies should clarify whether motor disturbances are a primary effect of the illness, or related to the illness-related lifestyle.     

Endoparasites observed within invertebrates used as live food items for captive wild birds: Overview and potential risks

To monitor and evaluate potential risks to birds’ health, invertebrate species that have been used as live food items had their body contents searched for endoparasites. The contents of approximately 10,000 invertebrates were analyzed. A principal component analysis was performed to study the relationship between the presence/absence of endoparasites and the characteristics of the invertebrates. In most of them, including the species preferred by birds such as caterpillars, waxworms, mealworms, most grasshoppers, and spiders, no organism was identified. Such findings suggest a low potential for parasite transmission associated with its consumption by birds. Although they had unknown or even unlikely implications for the birds’ health, gregarines, oxyurides Leidynema sp., and digenetic trematodes Monolecithotrema sp. were found in samples from woodlice, cockroaches, and centipedes, respectively. The only avian parasites observed in this study were Heterakis gallinarum in samples from earthworms and Acuaria spiralis from woodlice. Suggestively, soil invertebrates showed a higher prevalence of endoparasites and may represent a higher potential risk in comparison to the other categories of invertebrates sampled herein. Detritivory and collected origin were also explanatory variables related to the presence of endoparasites in the current study.     

Linked Cross Sectional Schemes for Estimating Growth of Children

For estimation of growth, the efficiency of linked cross sectional scheme has been compared with pure longitudinal and cross sectional schemes. The relevant estimation theory has been developed and the expressions for the optimum estimators alongwith their variances have been derived. It has been observed that for estimation of growth, the linked cross-sectional scheme has been observed to be less efficient as compared to pure longitudinal scheme but more efficient than pure cross-sectional scheme.     

Individual and simultaneous treatment with antipsychotic aripiprazole and antidepressant trazodone inhibit sterol biosynthesis in the adult brain

Polypharmacy, or the simultaneous use of multiple drugs to treat a single patient, is a common practice in psychiatry. Unfortunately, data on the health effects of commonly used combinations of medications are very limited. In this study, we therefore investigated the effects and interactions between two commonly prescribed psychotropic medications with sterol inhibiting side effects, trazodone (TRZ), an antidepressant, and aripiprazole (ARI), an antipsychotic. In vitro cell culture experiments revealed that both medications alone disrupted neuronal and astroglial sterol biosynthesis in dose-dependent manners. Furthermore, when ARI and TRZ were combined, exposure resulted in an additive 7-dehydrocholesterol (7-DHC) increase, as well as desmosterol (DES) and cholesterol decreases in both cell types. In adult mice, at baseline, we found that the three investigated sterols showed significant differences in distribution across the eight assessed brain regions. Furthermore, experimental mice treated with ARI or TRZ, or a combination of both medications for 8 days, showed strong sterol disruption across all brain regions. We show ARI or TRZ alone elevated 7-DHC and decreased DES levels in all brain regions, but with regional differences. However, the combined utilization of these two medications for 8 days did not lead to additive changes in sterol disturbances. Based on the complex roles of 7-DHC derived oxysterols, we conclude that individual and potentially simultaneous use of medications with sterol biosynthesis-inhibiting properties might have undesired side effects on the adult brain, with as yet unknown long-term consequences on mental or physical health.     

Response of female melon fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae, to host-associated visual and olfactory stimuli

In a series of studies conducted in Hawaii under seminatural conditions, we quantified the response of sexually mature, host‐seeking female melon flies, Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett) (Diptera: Tephritidae), to different types of visual and chemical host‐associated stimuli with the main aim of developing a monitoring device for females. Experiments were conducted using Tangletrap‐coated fruit mimics of either spherical (8 cm diameter) or cylindrical (4.3 cm diameter; 15 cm length) shapes coated with different artificial color pigments both at the ground level and at the tree‐canopy level so as to take into account the foraging behavior of adult melon flies. Females were particularly attracted to objects of spherical shape colored either yellow, white, or orange; these three pigments offered the highest reflectance values. Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) (Cucurbitaceae) odor was more attractive to females than odors of three other cultivated host fruit [zucchini, Cucurbita pepo L. var. medullosa Alef. (Cucurbitaceae); papaya, Carica papaya L. (Caricaceae); or tomato Solanum lycopersicum L. (Solanaceae)] or of ivy gourd [Coccinia grandis (L.) Voigt (Cucurbitaceae)], one of the major wild hosts of melon fly in Hawaii. A combination of both visual and olfactory stimuli was needed to elicit high levels of response compared to each stimulus offered alone. We discuss our results in relation to the potential implementation of improved female monitoring and/or attract‐and‐kill strategies for melon flies in Hawaii.     

Changes in plant species richness and productivity in response to decreased nitrogen inputs in grassland in southern England

Biomass production and plant species diversity in grassland in southern England was monitored before and after a change from conventional to organic farming. Our 18-year study, part of the UK's Environmental Change Network long-term monitoring programme, showed that the cessation of artificial fertiliser use on grassland after conversion to organic farming resulted in a decrease in biomass production and an increase in plant species richness. Grassland productivity decreased immediately after fertiliser application ceased, and after two years the annual total biomass production had fallen by over 50%. In the subsequent decade, total annual grassland productivity did not change significantly, and yields reached 31–66% of the levels recorded pre-management change. Plant species richness that had remained stable during the first 5 years of our study under conventional farming, increased by 300% over the following 13 years under organic farm management. We suggest that the change in productivity is due to the altered composition of species within the plots. In the first few years after the change in farming practice, high yielding, nitrogen-loving plants were outcompeted by lower yielding grasses and forbs, and these species remained in the plots in the following years. This study shows that grassland can be converted from an environment lacking in plant species diversity to a relatively species-rich pasture within 10–15 years, simply by stopping or suspending nitrogen additions. We demonstrate that the trade-off for increasing species richness is a decrease in productivity. Grassland in the UK is often not only managed from a conservation perspective, but to also produce a profitable yield. By considering the species composition and encouraging specific beneficial species such as legumes, it may be possible to improve biomass productivity and reduce the trade-off.     

A multimetric index based on benthic macroinvertebrates for evaluation of Atlantic Forest streams at Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil

This study describes the application of a protocol for biological assessment of water quality at first to third order streams at Serra dos órg?os, an area covered by Atlantic Forest in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. Major impacts in the region are domestic effluents and deforestation. Our main objective is to establish biocriteria for the establishment of the Serra dos órg?os Multimetric Index (SOMI) based on benthic macroinvertebrates. We used data from previous studies, sampled by experienced biologists, from 1999 through 2002. The benthic macroinvertebrate community was sampled in 12 reference sites and seven impaired sites in three river basins: Guapimirim, Macaé and Grande, all from the same bioregion. From the 22 tested metrics, 6 were included in the SOMI (% Diptera, % Coleoptera, Family Taxa, EPT Taxa, BMWP-CETEC and % Shredders). Scores (5, 3 or 1) were developed for these metrics to allow for aggregation into the index. Seven intermediately impaired sites were used for evaluating the applicability of the multimetric index. We concluded that the SOMI is a robust easy-to-apply tool for biomonitoring programs in the Serra dos órg?os region, south-east Brazil. Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available for this article at and is accessible for authorised users. Handling editor: D. Dudgeon