scholarly journals Testing for Geographic Variation in Survival of Spectacled Eider (Somateria fischeri) Populations in Chukotka, Russia and the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska

ARCTIC ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 70 (3) ◽  
pp. 287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana V. Solovyeva ◽  
Vera Yu. Kokhanova ◽  
Melissa Gabrielson ◽  
Katherine S. Christie
Keyword(s):  
Linear Trend ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Annual Survival ◽  
Breeding Populations ◽  
Island Sample ◽  
Size Constraints ◽  
Breeding Grounds ◽  
Female Survival ◽  
Likelihood Approach ◽  
Over Time

Information on variation in survival among geographically distinct breeding populations can produce valuable insights about the population dynamics of a species. The Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta sub-population of Spectacled Eiders in Alaska decreased precipitously between the 1950s and 1990s. Causes for this decline are unknown but may be attributed to low female survival due to predation and lead exposure on the breeding grounds. From 2014 to 2015, we compared annual survival probabilities of Spectacled Eiders on Kigigak Island in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska, and Ayopechan Island in the Chaun Delta, Chukotka, where similar field protocols were implemented. A Cormack-Jolly-Seber maximum likelihood approach was used to estimate apparent survival (φ) and recapture probability (p) from mark-resight data. We tested a) whether Russian and Alaskan sub-populations differed in their survival rates, b) whether survival varied annually, and c) whether survival followed an increasing or decreasing trend over time at either site. We found no evidence for differing survival between the two breeding areas when mean survival across years was compared, and we did not find strong evidence for a linear trend in survival over time at either site. Furthermore, our data supported models with annually varying survival at Kigigak Island and constant survival at Ayopechan Island. Sample size constraints precluded estimates of annual survival at Ayopechan Island. Our finding of no difference in mean survival between sites lends support to the idea that survival may be a function of conditions on the wintering grounds.

scholarly journals Sharing wintering grounds does not synchronize annual survival in a high Arctic seabird, the little auk

2020 ◽  
Vol SEA ◽  
Author(s):  
S Descamps ◽  
B Merkel ◽  
H Strøm ◽  
R Choquet ◽  
H Steen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Survival Data ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Vital Rates ◽  
Little Auk ◽  
Wintering Grounds ◽  
Annual Survival ◽  
Breeding Populations ◽  
Franz Josef Land

Sharing the same wintering grounds by avian populations breeding in various areas may synchronize fluctuations in vital rates, which could increase the risk of extinction. Here, by combining multi-colony tracking with long-term capture-recapture data, we studied the winter distribution and annual survival of the most numerous Arctic seabird, the little auk Alle alle. We assessed whether little auks from different breeding populations in Svalbard and Franz Josef Land use the same wintering grounds and if this leads to synchronized survival. Our results indicate that birds from the Svalbard colonies shared similar wintering grounds, although differences existed in the proportion of birds from each colony using the different areas. Little auks from Franz Josef Land generally spent the winter in a separate area, but some individuals wintered in the Iceland Sea with Svalbard populations. Survival data from 3 Svalbard colonies collected in 2005-2018 indicated that sharing wintering grounds did not synchronize little auk annual survival rates. However, it is clear that the Iceland Sea is an important wintering area for little auks, and environmental changes in this area could have widespread impacts on many populations.

scholarly journals Sex-Specific Long-Term Trends in Length of Hospital Stay, Postmenstrual Age at Discharge, and Survival in Very Low Birth Weight Infants

Neonatology ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Matthias Fröhlich ◽  
Tatjana Tissen-Diabaté ◽  
Christoph Bührer ◽  
Stephanie Roll
Keyword(s):  
Birth Weight ◽  
Low Birth Weight ◽  
Hospital Stay ◽  
Very Low Birth Weight ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Length Of Hospital Stay ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Vlbw Infants ◽  
Postmenstrual Age ◽  
Over Time

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> In very low birth weight (&#x3c;1,500 g, VLBW) infants, morbidity and mortality have decreased substantially during the past decades, and both are known to be lower in girls than in boys. In this study, we assessed sex-specific changes over time in length of hospital stay (LOHS) and postmenstrual age at discharge (PAD), in addition to survival in VLBW infants. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> This is a single-center retrospective cohort analysis based on quality assurance data of VLBW infants born from 1978 to 2018. Estimation of sex-specific LOHS over time was based on infants discharged home from neonatal care or deceased. Estimation of sex-specific PAD over time was based on infants discharged home exclusively. Analysis of in-hospital survival was performed for all VLBW infants. <b><i>Results:</i></b> In 4,336 of 4,499 VLBW infants admitted from 1978 to 2018 with complete data (96.4%), survival rates improved between 1978–1982 and 1993–1997 (70.8 vs. 88.3%; hazard ratio (HR) 0.20, 95% confidence interval 0.14, 0.30) and remained stable thereafter. Boys had consistently higher mortality rates than girls (15 vs. 12%, HR 1.23 [1.05, 1.45]). Nonsurviving boys died later compared to nonsurviving girls (adjusted mean survival time 23.0 [18.0, 27.9] vs. 20.7 [15.0, 26.3] days). LOHS and PAD assessed in 3,166 survivors displayed a continuous decrease over time (1978–1982 vs. 2013–2018: LOHS days 82.9 [79.3, 86.5] vs. 60.3 [58.4, 62.1] days); PAD 40.4 (39.9, 40.9) vs. 37.4 [37.1, 37.6] weeks). Girls had shorter LOHS than boys (69.4 [68.0, 70.8] vs. 73.0 [71.6, 74.4] days) and were discharged with lower PAD (38.6 [38.4, 38.8] vs. 39.2 [39.0, 39.4] weeks). <b><i>Discussion/Conclusions:</i></b> LOHS and PAD decreased over the last 40 years, while survival rates improved. Male sex was associated with longer LOHS, higher PAD, and higher mortality rates.

Community characteristics of forest understory birds along an elevational gradient in the Horn of Africa: A multi-year baseline

The Condor ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle D Kittelberger ◽  
Montague H C Neate-Clegg ◽  
Evan R Buechley ◽  
Çağan Hakkı Şekercioğlu
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Turnover ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Elevational Gradient ◽  
Forest Understory ◽  
Bird Abundance ◽  
Tropical Mountains ◽  
Demographic Rates ◽  
Understory Birds ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Tropical mountains are global hotspots for birdlife. However, there is a dearth of baseline avifaunal data along elevational gradients, particularly in Africa, limiting our ability to observe and assess changes over time in tropical montane avian communities. In this study, we undertook a multi-year assessment of understory birds along a 1,750 m elevational gradient (1,430–3,186 m) in an Afrotropical moist evergreen montane forest within Ethiopia’s Bale Mountains. Analyzing 6 years of systematic bird-banding data from 5 sites, we describe the patterns of species richness, abundance, community composition, and demographic rates over space and time. We found bimodal patterns in observed and estimated species richness across the elevational gradient (peaking at 1,430 and 2,388 m), although no sites reached asymptotic species richness throughout the study. Species turnover was high across the gradient, though forested sites at mid-elevations resembled each other in species composition. We found significant variation across sites in bird abundance in some of the dietary and habitat guilds. However, we did not find any significant trends in species richness or guild abundances over time. For the majority of analyzed species, capture rates did not change over time and there were no changes in species’ mean elevations. Population growth rates, recruitment rates, and apparent survival rates averaged 1.02, 0.52, and 0.51 respectively, and there were no elevational patterns in demographic rates. This study establishes a multi-year baseline for Afrotropical birds along an elevational gradient in an under-studied international biodiversity hotspot. These data will be critical in assessing the long-term responses of tropical montane birdlife to climate change and habitat degradation.

Abstract 18: Trends in Median CPR Duration Over Time in Patients With and Without Return of Spontaneous Circulation

Circulation ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 140 (Suppl_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine M Berg ◽  
Michael Donnino ◽  
Ari Moskowitz ◽  
Mathias J Holmberg ◽  
Sebastian Wiberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Survival Rates ◽  
Nonparametric Test ◽  
Spontaneous Circulation ◽  
Hospital Level ◽  
Gender And Race ◽  
Increasing Trend ◽  
Trends Over Time ◽  
Get With The Guidelines ◽  
Hospital Cardiac Arrest ◽  
Over Time

Introduction: Survival after in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) is increasing. In the Get-With-The-Guidelines-Resuscitation (GWTG-R) registry, longer median CPR duration in patients not achieving ROSC is associated with higher survival rates at the hospital level. We analyzed trends over time in median CPR duration by hospital in patients who achieved ROSC and those who did not, and stratified this analysis by age, gender and race. Methods: We included adult IHCA cases in GWTG-R from 2001-2017, excluding data from a given hospital and year if fewer than 5 eligible arrests were recorded. A nonparametric test for trend was done to evaluate median CPR duration over time in those with and without ROSC, in all patients and in groups stratified by age (<60, 61-80 and >80 years), gender, and race (white and black). Linear regression was done to evaluate the amount of change per year. Association with survival was tested using Pearsons correlation. Results: Of 359,107 IHCA events, 31,189 were excluded, leaving 327,918 for analysis. Over time, there was a significant increase in median CPR duration in patients who did not achieve ROSC, and a decrease in those who did attain ROSC.(Fig.) These trends persisted when stratified by gender, race and age. Each year was associated with a decrease in median CPR duration of 0.37 min (95% CI -0.41 to -0.33 min) in those with ROSC and an increase of 0.29 min (95% CI 0.25 to 0.33 min) in those without. There was a small but significant correlation between median CPR duration in those without ROSC and adjusted survival by hospital over time (r=0.224, p<0.0001). Conclusions: In the GWTG-R registry, median duration of CPR is decreasing over time in patients achieving ROSC, but increasing in those not achieving ROSC. The increasing trend in CPR duration in those without ROSC correlates positively with the trend in survival. Whether the increase in median CPR duration in those without ROSC is contributing causally to improvements in survival warrants further study.

Tree selection and use by the polyphagous xylophage Anoplophora glabripennis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in Canada

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean J. Turgeon ◽  
Michael T Smith ◽  
John Pedlar ◽  
Ronald Edward Fournier ◽  
Mary Orr ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Host Selection ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Anoplophora Glabripennis ◽  
Longhorned Beetle ◽  
Asian Longhorned Beetle ◽  
Risk Of Injury ◽  
Breeding Populations ◽  
Over Time

Two breeding populations of the non-native Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis Motschulsky), a pest of broadleaf trees in its native China, were discovered in Ontario in 2003 and 2013, respectively. Both populations were eradicated by removing all trees injured by the beetle and all uninjured trees deemed at high risk of injury. We used data collected during this removal to study host selection. Signs of A. glabripennis injury were observed on 732 stems from seven (i.e., Acer, Salix, Populus, Betula, Ulmus, Fraxinus and Tilia) of the 45 tree genera available. Complete beetle development was confirmed on only the first four of these seven genera. Most signs of injury were on the genus Acer and on trees with a diameter at 130 cm above ground ranging between 15 cm and 40 cm. On most trees, the lowest sign of injury was within three meters of the ground or within 40% of tree height. Tree height explained 63% of the variance in the location of the lowest sign of injury. Initial attacks were typically near the middle of the tree and expanded both upward and downward with successive attacks over time. We discuss how these findings could improve survey efforts for A. glabripennis.

Survival of red-capped robins (Petroica goodenovii) in woodland remnants of central western New South Wales, Australia

2001 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 565 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard E. Major ◽  
Greg Gowing
Keyword(s):  
Survival Rates ◽  
Relative Survival ◽  
Adult Mortality ◽  
Annual Survival ◽  
Survival Probabilities ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Winter Half ◽  
Linear Habitat ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Summer Half

To determine relative survival rates of small birds occupying small, linear strips of woodland compared with large patches of woodland, marked populations of red-capped robins were monitored over a two-year period. In total, 196 male robins were banded with unique colour combinations in 10 woodland remnants and censused by song playback at half-yearly intervals. The Cormack–Jolly–Seber method was used to calculate half-yearly survival probabilities for birds in the two habitat configurations and the strongest model included separate survival parameters for summer (36.2% 5.1) and autumn (88.9% 13.5) half-years, but a constant recapture probability (50.5% 7.2). The inclusion of separate parameters for the large and linear habitat configurations reduced the strength of the model, indicating that there was no significant difference between the survival rates of birds occupying small, linear strips of woodland and birds occupying large patches of woodland. The mean annual survival, determined by multiplying the half-yearly survival probabilities, was 32%, which is low, compared with the annual survival of other Petroica robins. Although no banded birds were located away from the banding site, we suspect that much of the ‘mortality’ represented emigration during the summer half-year. Under this scenario a better estimate of annual survival (79%) might be achieved by extrapolation of survival over the winter half-year. This study provides no data to support the contention that adult mortality is higher in small, linear strips of habitat, although further data on the fate of birds that disappear from remnants is required before this is conclusive. In addition, to detect a 20% difference in survival using similar methods to the present study, with their accompanying sources of variation, at least 10 times the number of birds would need to be monitored. This might most effectively be done as a co-operative banding project.

PCAOB Inspections and Large Accounting Firms

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryan K. Church ◽  
Lori B. Shefchik
Keyword(s):  
Audit Quality ◽  
Linear Trend ◽  
Dominant Role ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Financial Statement ◽  
Public Companies ◽  
Accounting Firms ◽  
Big 4 ◽  
Second Tier ◽  
Over Time

SYNOPSIS The purpose of this paper is to analyze the PCAOB's inspection reports of large, annually inspected accounting firms. The inspection reports identify audit deficiencies that have implications for audit quality. By examining the inspection reports in detail, we can identify the nature and severity of audit deficiencies; we can track the total number of deficiencies over time; and we can pinpoint common, recurring audit deficiencies. We focus on large accounting firms because they play a dominant role in the marketplace (i.e., they audit public companies that comprise approximately 99 percent of U.S.-based issuer market capitalization). We document a significant, downward linear trend in the number of deficiencies from 2004 to 2009. We also identify common, recurring audit deficiencies, determine the financial statement accounts most often impacted by audit deficiencies, and isolate the primary emphasis of the financial statement impacted. Our findings generally are consistent comparing Big 4 and second-tier accounting firms, though a few differences emerge. In addition, we make comparisons with findings that have been documented for small, triennially inspected firms. Data Availability: The data are available from public sources.

scholarly journals Preliminary survival and movement data for a declining population of Flesh-footed Shearwater Ardenna carneipes in Western Australia provides insights into marine threats

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 327-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
JENNIFER L. LAVERS ◽  
SIMEON LISOVSKI ◽  
ALEXANDER L. BOND
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
Seabird Species ◽  
Movement Data ◽  
Central Indian Ocean ◽  
Breeding Grounds ◽  
Wintering Areas ◽  
Fisheries Bycatch ◽  
Western Australian

SummarySeabirds face diverse threats on their breeding islands and while at sea. Human activities have been linked to the decline of seabird populations, yet over-wintering areas typically receive little or no protection. Adult survival rates, a crucial parameter for population persistence in long-lived species, tend to be spatially or temporally restricted for many seabird species, limiting our understanding of factors driving population trends at some sites. We used bio-loggers to study the migration of Western Australian Flesh-footed Shearwaters Ardenna carneipes carneipes and estimated adult survival over five years. Western Australia is home to around 35% of the world’s breeding Flesh-footed Shearwaters, a population which was up-listed to Vulnerable in 2015. During the austral winter, shearwaters migrated across the central Indian Ocean to their non-breeding grounds off western Sri Lanka. Low site fidelity on breeding islands, mortality of adult birds at sea (e.g. fisheries bycatch), and low annual breeding frequency likely contributed to the low estimated annual adult survival (2011–2015: ϕ = 0.634-0.835).

Demography of the San Francisco Gartersnake in Coastal San Mateo County, California

2011 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian J. Halstead ◽  
Glenn D. Wylie ◽  
Melissa Amarello ◽  
Jeffrey J. Smith ◽  
Michelle E. Thompson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
San Francisco ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Thamnophis Sirtalis ◽  
Annual Survival ◽  
Coastal Prairie ◽  
Probability Of Survival ◽  
Annual Probability ◽  
The Status ◽  
San Mateo County

Abstract The San Francisco gartersnake Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia has been federally listed as endangered since 1967, but little demographic information exists for this species. We examined the demography of a San Francisco gartersnake population on approximately 213 ha of California coastal prairie in San Mateo County, California, from 2007 to 2010. The best-supported mark–recapture model indicated annual variation in daily capture probabilities and annual survival rates. Abundance increased throughout the study period, with a mean total population from 2008 to 2010 of 443 (95% CI  =  313–646) individuals. Annual survival was slightly greater than that of most other gartersnakes, with an annual probability of survival of 0.78 (0.55–0.95) in 2008–2009 and 0.75 (0.49–0.93) in 2009–2010. Mean annual per capita recruitment rates were 0.73 (0.02–2.50) in 2008–2009 and 0.47 (0.02–1.42) in 2009–2010. From 2008 to 2010, the probability of an increase in abundance at this site was 0.873, with an estimated increase of 115 (−82 to 326) individuals. The estimated population growth rate in 2008–2009 was 1.52 (0.73–3.29) and in 2009–2010 was 1.21 (0.70–2.17). Although this population is probably stable or increasing in the short term, long-term studies of the status of the San Francisco gartersnake at other sites are required to estimate population trends and to elucidate mechanisms that promote the recovery of this charismatic member of our native herpetofauna.

scholarly journals Mercury and Stable Isotopes in Feathers Of Audouin's Gulls as Indicators of Feeding Habits and Migratory Connectivity

The Condor ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 109 (2) ◽  
pp. 268-275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carola Sanpera ◽  
Xavier Ruiz ◽  
Rocío Moreno ◽  
Lluís Jover ◽  
Susan Waldron
Keyword(s):  
Trophic Ecology ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Geographical Area ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Migratory Connectivity ◽  
Migration Patterns ◽  
Isotopic Signatures ◽  
Breeding Populations ◽  
Breeding Grounds ◽  
Wintering Areas

Abstract To better understand migratory connectivity between breeding and nonbreeding populations, we analyzed mercury (Hg) and stable isotope signatures of nitrogen (δ15N), carbon (δ13C), and sulfur (δ34S) in Audouin's Gulls (Larus audouinii) breeding in two different colonies, the Ebro Delta (northeastern Spain) and the Chafarinas Islands (southwestern Mediterranean). Although abundant information is available on the biology and trophic ecology of this gull's breeding populations, little is known about migration patterns, distribution in winter, or conditions faced during the nonbreeding period. Analyses were carried out on first primary feathers, grown during the summer while gulls are on the breeding grounds, and mantle feathers, grown during the winter. Different isotopic signatures (δ15N, δ13C, and δ34S) in summer (primary) feathers from each area agree with the observed differences in diet between the two colonies. In winter (mantle) feathers, isotopic signatures did not differ, consistent with a common wintering ground and common diet, although the lack of isotopic basemaps in marine systems precludes assignment to a geographical area of reference. Future research is needed to relate isotopic signatures and Hg values in mantle feathers to trophic ecology in wintering areas. Results for Hg indicate that the excretory role played by primary feathers precludes their use as indicators of trophic ecology.

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