Breeding Ecology of the Western Long-billed Corella, Cacatua pastinator pastinator

1991 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 91 ◽  
Author(s):  
GT Smith

The breeding ecology of a small population of the western long-billed corella, Cacatua p. pastinator, was investigated for 6 years in the central wheatbelt of Western Australia. Pair-bonds tended to be long-lasting; however, the divorce rate for birds breeding for the first time was 25% with an overall rate of 15%. Females formed stable pair-bonds by age 2, and bred for the first time between 3 and 5 years old; males started breeding when 5 years old. Clutches (range from one to four, mode three) were started in early August; 78% are started in the last 3 weeks of the month. Mean clutch size, brood size and number fledged were 2.7 , 1.9 and 1.6 respectively; there were no significant differences in these parameters among the six years of the study. Hatching was asynchronous and was followed by the death of the young nestlings when they were significantly smaller (77%) than their older siblings. Nestlings fledged when they were about 60 days old; neither their mass or degree of wing growth influenced fledging age. Mean mass of fledglings from broods of three was significantly greater than that of broods of two or one. Productivity was assessed by the numbers of young fledging, surviving the post-fledging period, and reaching independence. Neither mass nor condition at fledging influenced any of these measures; productivity in all three increased with clutch size. Rainfall and temperature had no influence on the numbers fledged, but the number reaching independence was significantly and positively correlated with the mean maximum summer temperature. The results are discussed in relation to the results from studies of other species of cockatoos living in the wheatbelt of Western Australia.

2003 ◽  
Vol 81 (8) ◽  
pp. 1421-1427 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate Grellier ◽  
Philip S Hammond ◽  
Ben Wilson ◽  
Carol A Sanders-Reed ◽  
Paul M Thompson

For social mammals living in fission–fusion societies, the mother–infant bond is long and extends beyond the nursing period. We successfully developed a technique, using photo-identification data, to quantify mother–calf association patterns in a small population of bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, off eastern Scotland. By statistically comparing association indices between young calves and their associates we assigned 17 individual adults as mothers to 20 young calves with a 5% level of probability. The mean index of association between calves and mothers remained high until at least year 8 of life. While calves were still found in the same schools as their mother, they surfaced beside her less often as their age increased. This is the first time that the mother–calf bond has been quantitatively assessed for any bottlenose dolphin population inhabiting temperate waters. Results are compared with those from subtropical populations and are discussed with respect to the viability of this population.


2004 ◽  
Vol 52 (6) ◽  
pp. 583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grainne S. Maguire ◽  
Raoul A. Mulder

The breeding biology and demography of the southern emu-wren (Stipiturus malachurus) were studied over three breeding seasons (2000–02) in the south-west of Victoria, Australia. The nesting biology of the species was typical of the family Maluridae: clutch size ranged from two to three eggs, the incubation period averaged 19 days, and nestlings fledged, on average, 14.2 days after hatching. In total, 6% of nests successfully hatched and 67% of broods produced fledglings, with a mean of 1.8 young fledged per clutch. Nest failure was mainly due to predation, mostly by snakes. Cooperative breeding was observed for the first time in this species, with male offspring delaying breeding to help raise younger siblings. Juveniles were capable of breeding in their first year and dispersed as far as 1.2 km away. Males provided a high level of investment in offspring and this, together with an absence of extra-pair courtship displays, differentiates the emu-wrens from their highly promiscuous relatives, the fairy-wrens. Mortality of individuals was high and the mean duration of pair bonds was short (5.63 ± 0.62 months, n = 62). Population numbers fell dramatically in September 2001, when almost half the adult population disappeared, which suggests that this population could be vulnerable to local extinction.


2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-85
Author(s):  
Sarra Messabhia ◽  
Ettayib Bensaci ◽  
Salah Telailia ◽  
Abderraouf Chouaib Rebbah ◽  
Menouar Saheb

The breeding ecology of the Black Kite Milvus migrans migrans in Algeria was first studied in 2014 and 2015 on Tarf Mountain in the semi-arid High Plateaus region. The nearest-neighbour nest distance was found to range from 130 to 550 m for colonial pairs and from 1,730 to 2,390 m for the solitary ones. All 12 monitored nests were placed on cliffs at different heights ranging from 149 to 155 m. The mean egg laying period was 15 days, and the mean clutch size was 2.83 ± 0.31 and 3 ± 00 eggs per nest in 2014 and 2015, respectively. The mean hatching success was 83% and that of fledging 75%. Only 2 nests were predated. Our results disagree with those of the previous studies that were carried out mainly in the Mediterranean basin and Asia, differing in such nest characteristics as the nearest - neighbour nest distance, cliff and nesting heights, egg laying period and hatching success. Otherwise, no consistent differences in clutch size and fledging success were revealed. Finally, we determined that Black Kites tend to build their nest on the eastern side of cliffs. However, our analysis showed no effect of nest placement on breeding parameters and success.


2011 ◽  
pp. 100-104
Author(s):  
Thi Thu Nguyen ◽  
Viet Hien Vo ◽  
Thi Em Do

The study use intralesional triamcinolone acetonide injection proceduce for chalazion treatment.1. Objectives: To evaluate results of intralesional triamcinolone acetonide injection for chalazion treatment. 2. Method: This noncomparative prospective interventional trial included 72 chalazions of 61 patients. 3. Results: 61 patients (72 chalazions) with 19 males (31.1%) và 42 females (68.9%), the mean age was 24 ± 9,78 years. 31.1% patients was the first time chalazion and 68.9% patients was more than one times chalazion including 78.6% patients was recurrent at the first position and 21.4% patients occur at new position. 72 chalazions with 16 (22.2%) chalazions was treated before and 56 (77.8%) chalazions wasn’t done that. 72 chalazions with 49 chalazions (68.1%) are local in upper eyelid and 23 chalazions (31.9%) are local in lower eyelid. The mean of chalazion diameter is 6.99 ± 3.03mm. Intralesional triamcinolone acetonide is injected to treat 72 chalazions with 16 (22.2%) chalazions are injected through the route of skin and 56 (77.8%) chalazions are injected through the route of conjunctiva. After 2 weeks follow-up, the success rate was 93.1% and 6.9% failed. 4. Conclusion: intralesional triamcinolone acetonide injection for chalazion treatment is really effective. Key words: chalazion, intralesional triamcinolone acetonide.


Author(s):  
Sergey Staroverov ◽  
Sergey Kozlov ◽  
Alexander Fomin ◽  
Konstantib Gabalov ◽  
Alexey Volkov ◽  
...  

Background: The liver disease problem prompts investigators to search for new methods of liver treatment. Introduction: Silymarin (Sil) protects the liver by reducing the concentration of free radicals and the extent of damage to the cell membranes. A particularly interesting method to increase the bioavailability of Sil is to use synthesized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as reagents. The study considered whether it was possible to use the silymarin-AuNP conjugate as a potential liver-protecting drug. Method: AuNPs were conjugated to Sil and examine the liver-protecting activity of the conjugate. Experimental hepatitis and hepatocyte cytolysis after carbon tetrachloride actionwere used as a model system, and the experiments were conducted on laboratory animals. Result: For the first time, silymarin was conjugated to colloidal gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Electron microscopy showed that the resultant preparations were monodisperse and that the mean conjugate diameter was 18–30 nm ± 0.5 nm (mean diameter of the native nanoparticles, 15 ± 0.5 nm). In experimental hepatitis in mice, conjugate administration interfered with glutathione depletion in hepatocytes in response to carbon tetrachloride was conducive to an increase in energy metabolism, and stimulated the monocyte–macrophage function of the liver. The results were confirmed by the high respiratory activity of the hepatocytes in cell culture. Conclusion: We conclude that the silymarin-AuNP conjugate holds promise as a liver-protecting agent in acute liver disease caused by carbon tetrachloride poisoning.


Author(s):  
Zaigham Tahir ◽  
Hina Khan ◽  
Muhammad Aslam ◽  
Javid Shabbir ◽  
Yasar Mahmood ◽  
...  

AbstractAll researches, under classical statistics, are based on determinate, crisp data to estimate the mean of the population when auxiliary information is available. Such estimates often are biased. The goal is to find the best estimates for the unknown value of the population mean with minimum mean square error (MSE). The neutrosophic statistics, generalization of classical statistics tackles vague, indeterminate, uncertain information. Thus, for the first time under neutrosophic statistics, to overcome the issues of estimation of the population mean of neutrosophic data, we have developed the neutrosophic ratio-type estimators for estimating the mean of the finite population utilizing auxiliary information. The neutrosophic observation is of the form $${Z}_{N}={Z}_{L}+{Z}_{U}{I}_{N}\, {\rm where}\, {I}_{N}\in \left[{I}_{L}, {I}_{U}\right], {Z}_{N}\in [{Z}_{l}, {Z}_{u}]$$ Z N = Z L + Z U I N where I N ∈ I L , I U , Z N ∈ [ Z l , Z u ] . The proposed estimators are very helpful to compute results when dealing with ambiguous, vague, and neutrosophic-type data. The results of these estimators are not single-valued but provide an interval form in which our population parameter may have more chance to lie. It increases the efficiency of the estimators, since we have an estimated interval that contains the unknown value of the population mean provided a minimum MSE. The efficiency of the proposed neutrosophic ratio-type estimators is also discussed using neutrosophic data of temperature and also by using simulation. A comparison is also conducted to illustrate the usefulness of Neutrosophic Ratio-type estimators over the classical estimators.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
K Wdowiak-Okrojek ◽  
P Wejner-Mik ◽  
Z Bednarkiewicz ◽  
P Lipiec ◽  
J D Kasprzak

Abstract Background Stress echocardiography (SE) plays an important role among methods of noninvasive diagnosis of ischemic disease. Despite the advantages of physical exercise as the most physiologic stressor, it is difficult (bicycle ergometer) or impossible (treadmill) to obtain and maintain the acoustic window during the exercise. Recently, an innovative probe fixation device was introduced and a research plan was developed to assess the feasibility of external probe fixation during exercise echocardiography on a supine bicycle and upright treadmill exercise for the first time. Methods 37 subjects (36 men, mean age 39 ± 16 years, 21 healthy volunteers, 16 patients with suspected coronary artery disease) were included in this study. This preliminary testing stage included mostly men due to more problematic probe fixation in women. All subjects underwent a submaximal exercise stress test on a treadmill (17/37) or bicycle ergometer (11/37). Both sector and matrix probes were used. We assessed semi-quantitatively the quality of acquired apical views at each stage – the four-point grading system was used (0-no view, 1-suboptimal quality, 2-optimal quality, 3-very good quality), 2-3 sufficient for diagnosis. Results The mean time required for careful positioning of the probe and image optimization was 12 ± 3 min and shortened from 13,7 to 11,1 minutes (mean) in first vs second half of the cohort documenting learning curve. At baseline, 9 patients had at least one apical view of quality precluding reliable analysis. Those patients were excluded from further assessment. During stress, 17 patients maintained the optimal or very good quality of all apical views, whereas in 11 patients the quality significantly decreased during the stress test and required probe repositioning. The mean image quality score at baseline was 2,61 ± 0,48 and 2,25 ± 0,6 after exercise. Expectedly, good image quality was easier to obtain and maintain in the supine position (score 2,74 ± 0,44) points as compared with upright position (score 2,25 ± 0,57). Conclusion This preliminary, unique experience with external probe fixation device indicates that continuous acquisition and monitoring of echocardiographic images is feasible during physical exercise, and for the first time ever - also on the treadmill. This feasibility data stem from almost exclusively male patients and the estimated rate of sufficient image quality throughout the entire test is currently around 60%. We are hoping, that gaining more experience with the product could increase the success rate on exercise tests. Abstract P1398 Figure. Treadmill and ergometer stress test


1994 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 851 ◽  
Author(s):  
PW Morcombe ◽  
DS Petterson ◽  
HG Masters ◽  
PJ Ross ◽  
JR Edwards

A sample of 4973 kidneys from sheep stratified by age and shire of origin within the Agricultural Region of Western Australia, was analysed for cadmium (Cd) content during the period August 1989 to April 1991. The geometric mean Cd concentration in the kidney of hogget ewes was 0.9 mg/kg, in 4-tooth ewes 1.47 mg/kg and in adult ewes 3.34 mg/kg on a wet weight basis. The mean Cd concentrations of either ewe or hogget flocks from different Divisions of the Agricultural Region did not differ from each other. The annual increase in Cd concentration of kidney from hogget sheep was estimated to be 0-65 mg/kg. The rate of accumulation of Cd in kidney from cattle and sheep grazing the same properties was similar. Kidneys from a sample of 354 adult cattle from the Kimberley Region and 483 aged sheep from the Pastoral Region, both areas of unimproved rangelands, had geometric mean Cd concentrations of 0.15 mg/kg and 0-31 mg/kg respectively. A higher Cd concentration in flocks from the divisions adjacent to the Agricultural Region may have resulted from the establishment of some volunteer species of winter annual pastures in the rangeland.


1957 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 423-429 ◽  
Author(s):  
THOMAS McKEOWN ◽  
R. G. RECORD

SUMMARY Three hundred and eighty-three women whose weights were recorded during and after pregnancy were divided into groups of short (under 64 in.) and tall (64 in. and over) individuals, and further subdivided according to an index of body build (based on the observed regression of antenatal weight on height). Differences between the weight 12 months after delivery and the antenatal weight (adjusted according to the number of days by which it preceded or followed the 124th day of gestation) were examined. The proportion of short women who added weight in this interval was relatively high for those who were thinnest at the antenatal examination, was lowest for those who were moderately thin and thereafter increased with increasing degree of obesity (from about 1 in 3 to 4 in 5); the proportion of tall women who added weight showed no significant change (Fig. 2). This variation in weight change according to height is exhibited by women pregnant for the first time (Table 3). For both short and tall women, the mean weight increment of those who added weight, and the mean weight decrement of those who lost weight, increased with increasing degree of obesity (Fig. 3). When weight change is expressed as a proportion of the antenatal weight these trends disappear (Fig. 4).


2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanouil A. Varouchakis

Reliable temporal modelling of groundwater level is significant for efficient water resources management in hydrological basins and for the prevention of possible desertification effects. In this work we propose a stochastic method of temporal monitoring and prediction that can incorporate auxiliary information. More specifically, we model the temporal (mean annual and biannual) variation of groundwater level by means of a discrete time autoregressive exogenous variable (ARX) model. The ARX model parameters and its predictions are estimated by means of the Kalman filter adaptation algorithm (KFAA) which, to our knowledge, is applied for the first time in hydrology. KFAA is suitable for sparsely monitored basins that do not allow for an independent estimation of the ARX model parameters. We apply KFAA to time series of groundwater level values from the Mires basin in the island of Crete. In addition to precipitation measurements, we use pumping data as exogenous variables. We calibrate the ARX model based on the groundwater level for the years 1981 to 2006 and use it to predict the mean annual and biannual groundwater level for recent years (2007–2010). The predictions are validated with the available annual averages reported by the local authorities.


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