Aim To reveal by field observations what the optimal stage is for Cuckoos to lay their eggs in relation to the host laying cycle to ensure prior hatching of the parasitic chicks.
Methods We monitored the hatching of Cuckoo chicks in relation to the hosts’ laying stage at which the Cuckoo eggs appeared and also monitored host incubation behaviour.
Results Great Reed Warblers incubated more on day 5 after the host's onset of laying relative to day 3. All Cuckoo eggs hatched earlier than hosts when they were laid prior to the onset of host incubation (day 4). Cuckoo eggs also maintained hatching priority in about 2/3 of the nests when laid on days 5–6.
Conclusions Most Cuckoo eggs are laid prior to the onset of host incubation and this, together with other adaptive mechanisms, ensures the prior hatching of Cuckoo eggs. Cuckoo eggs laid after the onset of incubation lose the advantage of prior hatching in approximately 30% of nests. 相似文献
Aims: To explore which factors have more importance in determining the pre-fledging daily survival rates in a Yellow-legged Gull population from northern Iberia. Specifically, we tested for the effect of hatching date and order, body size and condition and meteorological conditions on pre-fledging survival.
Methods: Cormack–Jolly–Seber models with mixtures were used to model daily survival rates.
Results: Daily survival rates were mostly negatively affected by hatching date.
Conclusions: Hatching date was the most important factor affecting survival of chicks during the pre-fledging period in a Yellow-legged Gull colony from northern Iberia. 相似文献
Aims: We aimed to quantify the sensitive period of song learning and to examine the effects of sleep on song development in Varied Tits, an endemic forest songbird in East Asia.
Methods: Song development in Varied Tits was investigated in the first 90 days following hatching. The effect of night-sleep on birdsong learning was examined by analysing and comparing the song structure in the evening and the next morning.
Results: We found that most individuals began to sing a subsong from 15 days of age and acquired mature song at about 53 days. The sensitive period of song learning in Varied Tits was from 25 to 53 days after hatching. There were significant and positive correlations between maximum frequency and vocal changes before and after night-sleep.
Conclusion: Our findings uncover the timings and processes of song development, and highlight the importance of the sensitive period in birdsong development in wild birds. 相似文献
Aims: We describe the application of trail cameras for monitoring real and artificial clutches of ground-nesting birds through a series of case studies. We rate the degree of inference used when defining nest outcomes and assigning fates.
Methods: Four case studies are presented, based on 326 deployments of cameras on real and artificial nests.
Results: The probability of hatching varied between species and populations (40.0–83.3% hatched), but not between urban and rural habitats. The ‘degree of inference’ scores did not differ between species and contexts. Two case studies which examined habitat-mediated survival (ecological hypotheses) found no difference in survival between urban and rural habitats, nor between open and covered microhabitats. Another case study (a management hypothesis) found that predator exclusion cages increased clutch survival even though predators sometimes breached the cages and cages altered the assemblage of predators visiting the area. A fourth study revealed that the assemblage of predators eating eggs differed between real and artificial nests.
Conclusion: Cameras enabled the survival and fate of most nests to be determined. 相似文献
Aims: To understand the effects of providing supplementary food on the movement ecology of vultures.
Methods: We used Global Positioning System tracking devices to monitor the movements of 28 Cape Vultures Gyps coprotheres using feeding stations in South Africa. We calculated home range values and then performed a habitat selection analysis.
Results: We show that aside from roost sites, vulture feeding stations are the most important environmental variable that explains vulture movements. However, we found that the birds ranged over areas without supplementary food and their mean home range values were comparable to those measured before the inception of feeding stations.
Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the use of supplementary feeding sites did not significantly impact on the natural foraging behaviour of the species. 相似文献
Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the association between sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) – a source of oxidative stress – and CML.
Materials and methods: About 1002 participants in the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) were studied.
Results: Women with SDB had significantly higher CML concentration compared with those without SDB (OR?=?1.63, 95%CI?=?1.03–2.58, p?=?0.04). The association was not significant among men.
Discussion: SDB was associated with CML concentration among elderly women but not men in the Cardiovascular Health Study.
Conclusion: Accumulation of CML may be an adverse health consequence of SDB 相似文献
Aim: To gain insight in the foraging ecology, habitat use and breeding performance of inland-breeding Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
Methods: We received data from seven birds fitted with global positioning system (GPS) loggers. The colony was frequently visited to collect pellets and boluses and to monitor reproductive success, mortality and growth rate of chicks.
Results: The GPS data revealed that mainly terrestrial habitats were used, 98% of these GPS positions were within 25?km of the colony. Refuse dumps were the most preferred sites, but also agricultural fields and freshwater bodies were often visited. Only two of the 710 recorded trips were directed to the North Sea. The pellet and bolus analyses confirmed the GPS data: no marine food remains were found. Breeding success of birds in the enclosure was relatively high, with 90% of eggs hatched and 51% of chicks fledged (1.6 chicks/pair).
Conclusions: Relying on terrestrial food is feasible when sources are available in the vicinity of the colony. We conclude that Lesser Black-backed Gulls could theoretically shift towards inland breeding after a fishery discards ban. 相似文献
Aims: To gain insight into the ecology of nestling Black Guillemots in the Baltic Sea region to fill knowledge gaps and benefit its conservation.
Methods: Two island groups in the Baltic Sea were visited several times during the breeding season of 2014 and 2015 to monitor nestling survival and fledging. In addition, camera traps were used in 2014 to monitor prey brought to chicks by adults and record possible nest predation events.
Results: Hatching success was 0.89 and 0.73 in 2014 and 2015, respectively, and fledging success was very high (0.95 and 0.97). No incidences of avian or mammalian predation were observed. Chicks fledged at night between 32 and 38 days after hatching. Viviparous Eelpout made up 95% of the prey items brought to the chicks by adults.
Conclusions: The hatching rate and fledging rate of the Black Guillemot was high in our study region. Juveniles seemed highly dependent on the availability of eelpout. Changes in the abundance of this species may therefore have negative effects on chick survival. 相似文献
Objective: To evaluate circulatory apoptotic markers and oxidative stress in patients with PCOS.
Materials and methods: Forty-four women with PCOS, and 44 healthy women as controls were enrolled in the study. Oxidative stress parameters and caspases levels were measured in serum.
Results: The caspase 9 level was significantly lower and related with oxidant status in patients with PCOS, while the circulating levels of caspases 3 and 7 were statistically similar in both groups.
Discussion: This study is the first report demonstrating the circulating levels of apoptotic markers and their relationship with oxidant status in PCOS.
Conclusion: The circulating caspase 9 and oxidant status might contribute to apoptotic dysregulation in PCOS. 相似文献
Objective: To evaluate the risk of pneumonia-induced sepsis by examining its linkage with polymorphisms of IL-6 and IL-10.
Materials and methods: Samples were obtained from 188 pneumonia-induced sepsis patients, 162 pneumonia patients and 200 healthy controls.
Results: Subjects with IL-10 -1082 AA genotypes and IL-6 -174?CC genotype had a higher risk of sepsis and increased mRNA levels.
Conclusion: The variants of IL-10 -1082 A allele and IL-6 -174 C allele contributed to an increased risk of pneumonia-induced sepsis. 相似文献
Objective: To compare the reliability of urine lactate between controlled hydration and no hydration after maximal exercise.
Material and methods: Athletes performed swimming exercise four times: two followed by consumption of 1?L of water and two followed by no water intake. Blood and urine lactate was measured.
Results: The reliability of urine lactate was good and similar to that in blood only after controlled hydration. Blood and urine lactate were correlated under both hydration conditions.
Discussion and conclusion: Controlled hydration after exercise provides satisfactory reliability of urine lactate. 相似文献
Objective: To establish a panel of protein biomarkers incorporated in a multiplexed microarray (BCa chip) and a classifier for diagnosing recurrent NMIBC.
Materials and methods: Urine samples from 45 patients were tested. Diagnostic performance was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.
Results: A multi biomarker panel (ECadh, IL8, MMP9, EN2, VEGF, past recurrences, BCG therapies and stage at diagnosis) was identified yielding an area under the curve of 0.96.
Discussion and conclusion: This biomarker panel represents a potential diagnostic tool for noninvasive diagnosis of recurrent NMIBC. 相似文献
Aims: To assess the potential contribution of large gulls breeding in a traditional colony to gull–human conflicts in cities.
Methods: Colour-ringed gulls from a nearby colony were counted in the study area throughout the 2014 breeding season. The average numbers observed daily per species and sex were compared between different breeding phases.
Results: Fluctuations in numbers of both species could be explained by breeding phase. Numbers of females of both species and male Lesser Black-backed Gulls dropped significantly during laying and incubation. Numbers peaked post-hatching, coinciding with increased engagement in nuisance events and more frequent displacements within the study area.
Conclusion: Large gulls from a traditional colony frequently visited the urban study area, especially when food demand for chick provisioning was high, suggesting that city visits are motivated by accessibility of urban food. The proportion of rooftop breeding gulls in this area is low. Therefore, measures to avoid nuisance should focus on reducing food availability rather than controlling gull breeding. 相似文献
Objectives: Few studies have compared the expression of inflammatory or adhesion molecules between coronary artery disease (CAD) versus CSX.
Materials and methods: Ninety-two CSX and 145 CAD subjects without known diabetes mellitus underwent coronary angiogram for angina.
Results: Vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1 (median, 507 versus 431?ng/ml, p?=?0.001) was significantly higher in the CAD group. In the binary regression, VCAM-1 was a significant differential factor for CAD versus CSX.
Discussion and conclusion: Adhesion molecules might be implicated in the differential expression of macro versus microvascular coronary disease.
Trial registration number: NCT01198730 at https://clinicaltrials.gov 相似文献
Objective: To evaluate the relationship between sCD40l and survival, CVE and mortality in HD patients on long-term follow-up.
Methods: We registered 46?HD patients’ baseline characteristics, mortality and CVE for 108 months.
Results: SCD40l correlated positively with C-reactive protein, was higher in survivors, but had no impact on survival and was not predictive for CVE or CV mortality.
Conclusion: The levels of sCD40l have no influence on survival or CVE and mortality in HD patients in a long-term follow-up. 相似文献
Objective: The objective of this study is to explored novel biomarkers for phospholipidosis using a metabolomic approach.
Method: NMR spectrometry and LC/MS/MS analyses were applied to urine and plasma of rats administrated cationic amphiphilic drugs.
Results: The phenylacetylglycine to hippuric acid ratio in plasma was increased in time and dose-dependent manners; and it was well correlated with histopathological observation.
Conclusion: The plasma phenylacetylglycine to hippuric acid ratio is a potential marker in monitoring drug-induced phospholipidosis. 相似文献
Objective: The aim of this paper is the discovery of new non-invasive biomarker for the monitoring of VHLD patients.
Materials and methods: We compared the urinary proteome of VHLD patients, ccRCC patients and healthy volunteers.
Results: Among all differentially expressed proteins, alpha-1-antitrypsin (A1AT) and APOH (beta-2-glycoprotein-1) are strongly over-abundant only in the urine of VHLD patients with a history of ccRCC.
Discussion and conclusion: A1AT and APOH could be promising non-invasive biomarkers. 相似文献
Objectives: We have examined the incremental value of Big-ET-1 in predicting total and CV mortality next to the well-established CV risk marker N-Terminal Pro-B-Type Natriuretic Peptide (NT-proBNP).
Methods: Big-ET-1 and NT-proBNP were determined in 2829 participants referred for coronary angiography (follow-up 9.9 years).
Results: Big-ET-1 is an independent predictor of total, CV mortality and death due to CHF.
Discussion: The conjunct use of Big-ET-1 and NT-proBNP improves the risk stratification of patients with intermediate to high risk of CV death and CHF.
Conclusions: Big-ET-1improves risk stratification in patients referred for coronary angiography. 相似文献
Objective: To asses the association of Guanine nucleotide-binding protein (GNB3) (C825T) gene's polymorphism with T2DM.
Materials and methods: A case–control study including 400 North Indians was performed using Polymerase Chain Reaction–Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) approach to analyze genetic polymorphism.
Results: No significant difference was observed in genotype and allele frequencies of GNB3 gene on comparing cases with controls.
Discussion: Our study is in agreement with studies on Polish, Japanese, Hispanic-American and Danish populations who observed no significant association between GNB3 (C825T) polymorphism and T2DM.
Conclusion: GNB3 (C825T) polymorphism is not associated with T2DM. 相似文献
Objectives: We investigated the association of serum YKL-40 levels with KD and established laboratory parameters for YKL-40 levels and other inflammatory markers.
Methods: YKL-40 levels and other inflammatory markers of 23 KD patients, 9 disease control patients and 11 age-matched healthy controls.
Results: YKL-40 concentration in the serum of KD patients significantly increased during the acute disease phase compared with those of disease controls and healthy controls.
Conclusions: Increased YKL-40 levels may provide a useful inflammatory marker for patients with KD. 相似文献