Gill Memorial Medal Address 2014 Reviewing the Red Bishop: the bird that introduced me to ornithology

A collection of 96 nightjars, representing six species, were taken in Zimbabwe during the first half of January, which is a major part of their post-breeding moult period, to provide extensive data on their patterns and sequences of moult. It was confirmed that primary moult is descendant, secondary moult is centripetal and rectrix moult is centrifugal, with R5 preceding R4. The secondary series were found to converge on the diastataxy between S4 and S5 in at least three species, suggesting that this may be the standard pattern in the Caprimulgidae. The males of one species may be exceptional in converging on S7–S8, rather than on the S4–S5 diastataxy. Nightjars in the lowveld moulted later than those in the middleveld, females later than males, immatures later than adults, and residents later than migrants. Plumage change due to abrasion was noted in one species. Ectoparasites, including hippoboscid and simuliid flies, philopterid chewing lice, and trombiculid mites, were found on many of the nightjars.     

Transgenic plants for phytoremediation: helping nature to clean up environmental pollution

Phytoremediation is the use of plants to clean up environmental pollution. However, detoxification of organic pollutants by plants is often slow, leading to the accumulation of toxic compounds that could be later released into the environment. A recent publication by Doty and colleagues describes the development of transgenic poplars (Populus) overexpressing a mammalian cytochrome P450, a family of enzymes commonly involved in the metabolism of toxic compounds. The engineered plants showed enhanced performance with regards to the metabolism of trichloroethylene and the removal of a range of other toxic volatile organic pollutants, including vinyl chloride, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform and benzene. This work suggests that transgenic plants might be able to contribute to the wider and safer application of phytoremediation.     

How to trick mother nature into letting you fly around or stay up all night

Night shift work and rapid transmeridian travel result in a misalignment between circadian rhythms and the new times for sleep, wake, and work, which has health and safety implications for both the individual involved and the general public. Entrainment to the new sleep/wake schedule requires circadian rhythms to be phase-shifted, but this is often slow or impeded. The authors show superimposed light and melatonin PRCs to explain how to appropriately time these zeitgebers to promote circadian adaptation. They review studies in which bright light and melatonin were administered to try to counteract jet lag or to produce circadian adaptation to night work. They demonstrate how jet lag could be prevented entirely if rhythms are shifted before the flight using their preflight plan and discuss the combination of interventions that they now recommend for night shift workers.