Qualitative study on dialogic literary gatherings as co-creation intervention and its impact on psychological and social wellbeing in women during the COVID-19 lockdown

Background: Dialogic Literary Gatherings (DLG) are evidence-based interventions implemented in very diverse educational and health settings. The main elements that make DLG a co-creation intervention and promote health during the COVID-19 crisis lockdown are presented. This study focuses on the case of a DLG that is being promoted by an adult school in the city of Barcelona. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted using a communicative approach. Seven in-depth interviews with participants in the online DLG have been conducted. Five of them are women without higher education ranging from 56 to 85 years old and two are educators of this school. Results: The main results are 2-fold. First, the factors that make DLG a co-creation intervention, such as egalitarian dialogue and dialogical creation of knowledge in the decision-making process, are found. Second, the results show how DLG is contributing to creating a supportive environment that breaks the social isolation of confinement and improving the participants' psychological and social well-being. Conclusions: The findings from this study contribute to generating knowledge about a co-creation process between adult education participants and educators in education and health promotion during the COVID-19 lockdown, which could be replicated in other contexts

Building social justice from education: An experience of innovation in higher university studies

En el curso 2016/17, ha iniciado su andadura el Máster oficial de Educación para la Justicia Social en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, una formación que nace como proyecto pionero en nuestro país. Presentamos este Máster como experiencia innovadora y de cambio educativo, considerando que las vivencias de este postgrado suponen un nuevo camino en la formación de profesionales del ámbito educativo hacia el compromiso social. La presente publicación expone las nociones y principios del máster poniendo en relación las ideas de Justicia Social y de escuela. Proyectando una imagen de Justicia Social como redistribución, reconocimiento y representación, la escuela se esboza como un espacio de formación en y desde la Justicia Social. Un postgrado de estas características proporciona una formación de maestros y maestras como intelectuales críticos, dispuestos a luchar por una escuela de calidad, inclusiva y participativa, que se aleje de los cánones tradicionales. Esta comunicación pretende recopilar las reflexiones en torno a la Educación para la Justicia Social, con el fin último de intercambiar conocimientos con profesionales del campo educativo y social. Nuestra visión pretende transformar las escuelas en espacios justos, que trabajen en y desde la Justicia Social, libres de discriminación y opresión, y donde la reflexión y el diálogo tengan un papel protagonistaIn the 2016/17 academic year, the official Masters’ Degree in Education for Social Justice at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, was started as a pioneer project in Spain. We present this Master's Degree as an innovational experience in educational change, considering that the experiences of this postgraduate course represent a new path in the training of professionals in the educational field towards social commitment. This publication presents the ideas and principles of the masters’ programme, linking the ideas of Social Justice and the ideas of what the school means. Projecting an image of Social Justice such as redistribution, recognition and representation, school is outlined as a space of Social Justice. Studies of this nature provides teachers training as critical intellectuals, who are willing to fight for a quality, inclusive and participative school that move away from traditional canons. This communication seeks to gather the reflections in a way of understanding Education for Social Justice, with the ultimate aim being to share knowledge with professionals from the educational and social field. Our vision is to transform schools into fair spaces, working in and from Social Justice, free from discrimination and oppression, and where reflection and dialogue play a main rol

Do secretions from the uropygial gland of birds attract biting midges and black flies?

Bird susceptibility to attacks by blood-sucking flying insects could be influenced by urogypial gland secretions. To determine the effect of these secretions on biting midges and black flies, we set up a series of tests. First, we placed uropygial gland secretions from blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus broods inside empty nest boxes while empty nest boxes without gland secretions were treated as controls. Blue tit broods, from which we had obtained uropygial secretions, were affected by biting midges and black flies. However, these insects were absent in nest boxes both with and without secretions from nestlings’ uropygial glands. We subsequently tested for the effects of uropygial gland secretions from feral pigeons Columba livia monitoring the number of biting midges captured using miniature CDC traps. There was no significant difference in the number of biting midges captured. Overall, our results did not support a potential role of avian uropygial gland secretions in attracting biting midges and black flies.Peer Reviewe

Interacting effects of aromatic plants and female age on nest-dwelling ectoparasites and blood-sucking flies in avian nests

Some avian species incorporate aromatic plants to their nests. The “nest protection hypothesis”, which posits that volatile secondary compounds contained in these plants may have antiparasite properties, has not received full support. All previous tests of this hypothesis have only considered effects on nest- dwelling ectoparasites, but not on blood-sucking flies. The “drug hypothesis” posits that aromatic plants may stimulate nestling immune system, development, or condition. We tested these hypotheses exper- imentally in wild blue tits Cyanistes caeruleus, a species that adds aromatic plants to their nests. We supplemented aromatic plants to half of a sample of nests, while adding grass to the other half of nests. We quantified abundance of two groups of blood-sucking flies (blackflies and biting midges) at two differ- ent stages of the reproductive period, and abundance of three nest-dwelling ectoparasites (fleas, mites, and blowflies). Experimental supplementation of aromatic plants reduced abundance of fleas only in nests of yearling females and not in nests of older females. Blackflies and biting midges were both more numerous in nests of yearling females than in nests of older females. Mass of aromatic plants added by females was negatively related with abundance of fleas in control nests but not in experimental nests supplied with aromatic plants. Mass of plants added by females was also positively related with abun- dance of blackflies during the nestling stage. Finally, aromatic plants did not affect nestling growth or immune responses. We conclude that several factors such as female experience and their ability to add plants to the nest interact to explain effects of aromatic plants on different parasitesPeer reviewe

Testing the use of a citronella-based repellent as an effective method to reduce the prevalence and abundance of biting flies in avian nests

Here, we validate the use of a citronella (natural oil) based repellent to reduce the abundance of flying blood-sucking insects in avian nests. These insects are important parasites of birds affecting them as blood feeders and as vectors of a diversity of pathogens. When nestling were 10 days old, we assigned wild great tit Parus major nests to one of two treatments, control and fumigated nests. The abundance of biting midges and blackflies captured during 3 days following the treatment application were lower in fumigated nests with respect to control ones. By contrast, the abundance of blowfly pupae measured when nestlings left their nests was not affected by the treatment. Although many experimental studies modify the abundance of nest-dweller ectoparasites, to our knowledge, this is the first one describing an easy, safe, and effective method, reducing the total abundance of both biting midges and blackflies in wild avian nests. Our results could be used in future conservation projects and experimental studies on host–parasite evolution affecting the abundance of flying blood-feeder insects under natural conditions.Peer reviewe

Does weather affect biting fly abundance in avian nests?

Environmental factors may strongly affect avian-biting fly interactions in different ways because insects are heterothermic organisms that depend greatly on environmental variables to activate their metabolism and behaviour. We studied the effects of weather on both blackfly (Simuliidae) and biting midge Culicoides (Ceratopogonidae) abundance in nests of three passerine species: blue tits Cyanistes caeruleus, great tits Parus major and pied flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca, breeding in the same area. We controlled for different host-related factors (hatching date, brood size and host species). Blackfly abundance was negatively related to minimum temperature. In addition, blackfly and biting midge abundances were negatively affected by wind speed measured at 07.00 h, but blackfly abundance was positively associated to wind speed at 18.00 h. We found higher blackfly and biting midge abundances in nests with larger broods breeding later in the season, and significantly higher biting midge abundance in pied flycatcher nests as compared to tit nests. These results represent, to our knowledge, the first report of both environmental and host-related effects on haematophagous fly abundance in the nests of wild hole-nesting birdsPeer reviewe

A restriction site to differentiate Plasmodium and Haemoproteus infections in birds: on the inefficiency of general primers for detection of mixed infections

Avian Plasmodium and Haemoproteus parasites are easily detected by DNA analyses of infected samples but only correctly assigned to each genus by sequencing and use of a phylogenetic approach. Here, we present a restriction site to differentiate between both parasite genera avoiding the use of those analyses. Alignments of 820 sequences currently listed in GenBank encoding a particular cytochrome B region of avian Plasmodium and Haemoproteus show a shared restriction site for both genera using the endonuclease Hpy CH4III. An additional restriction site is present in Plasmodium sequences that would initially allow differentiation of both genera by differential migration of digested products on gels. Overall 9 out of 326 sequences containing both potential restriction sites do not fit to the general rule. We used this differentiation of parasite genera based on Hpy CH4III restriction sites to evaluate the efficacy of 2 sets of general primers in detecting mixed infections. To do so, we used samples from hosts infected by parasites of both genera. The use of general primers was only able to detect 25 % or less of the mixed infections. Therefore, parasite DNA amplification using general primers to determine the species composition of haemosporidian infections in individual hosts is not recommended. Specific primers for each species and study area should be designed until a new method can efficiently discriminate both parasites.Peer reviewe

Nest-Dwelling Ectoparasites of Two Sympatric Hole-Nesting Passerines in Relation to Nest Composition: An Experimental Study

There are often marked differences in the incidence of nest-dwelling ectoparasite species on different coexisting and similar avian host species. This has been shown especially for fleas (Siphonaptera), larvae of flies (Diptera), and mites (Acarina) in nests of tits and flycatchers breeding in nest-boxes in close proximity to each other. One of the possible reasons for these differences is the marked differences in nest composition between avian species. We show here differences in ectoparasite presence and nest composition for blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) and pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) coexisting in oak forests in central Spain. There also may be intraspecific differences in local preferences for nest-building materials according to availability of plant materials, which could be due to arthropod repellent properties of different potential nest components. We show here a local difference in nest composition between 2 pied flycatcher populations in relation to availability of a preferred material associated with higher ectoparasite presence in the locality without the preferred nest material. We test the hypotheses that differential incidence of ectoparasites at the interspecific and intraspecific levels may depend on nest composition. We conducted a nest exchange experiment in one study locality in 2007 placing in nest-boxes occupied by flycatchers 1) nests constructed by blue tits in 2006 in another locality and removed before use and stored frozen, 2) nests constructed by flycatchers in 2006 in another locality with different nest composition and removed before use and stored frozen, and 3) nests constructed by other flycatcher pairs in the same study locality in 2007. Another group of flycatcher nests was kept as pure control, while a few blue tit nests constructed in 2007 and taken over by flycatchers were used for comparison with nests of treatment 1. No effect on presence of mites and blowflies of either nest-constructing species or locality of construction was observed for pied flycatcher nests, and for fleas only an effect of locality but not of nest constructing species was detected. On the other hand, presence of mites and blowflies differed between nests constructed by blue tits and occupied by either blue tits or pied flycatchers. Nest composition does not explain the differential incidence of nest-dwelling ectoparasites on coexisting avian host speciesIl y a souvent des différences marquées dans la fréquence d’espèces d’ectoparasites de nid chez différentes espèces coexistantes d’hôtes aviaires similaires. Ceci a été démontré particulièrement pour les puces (Siphonaptera), les larves de mouches (Diptera) et les acariens (Acarina) dans des nids de mésanges et de gobemouches dans des nichoirs à proximité les uns des autres. Une des raisons possibles de ces différences est la différence marquée dans la composition du nid entre les espèces d’oiseaux. Nous montrons ici des différences dans la présence d’ectoparasites et dans la composition du nid chez des mésanges bleues (Cyanistes caeruleus) et des gobemouches noirs (Ficedula hypoleuca) coexistants dans des chênaies du centre de l’Espagne. Il peut aussi y avoir des différences intraspécif iques dans les préférences locales de matériel de construction du nid selon la disponibilité du matériel végétal, ces différences pourraient être dues aux propriétés répulsives pour les arthropodes des différentes composantes potentielles des nids. Nous montrons ici une différence locale dans la composition du nid entre 2 populations de gobemouche noir en lien avec la disponibilité d’un matériel préféré et associée à une présence plus élevée d’ectoparasites dans le site dépourvu du matériel de nid préféré. Nous évaluons l’hypothèse que les différences dans la fréquence d’ectoparasites aux niveaux interspécif ique et intraspécif ique peuvent dépendre de la composition du nid en menant une expérience d’échange de nids en 2007 dans un des sites d’étude en plaçant dans des nichoirs occupés par des gobemouches : 1) des nids construits en 2006 par des mésanges bleues dans un autre site, retirés avant utilisation et entreposés gelés, 2) des nids construits en 2006 par des gobemouches dans un autre site et ayant une composition différente, retirés avant utilisation et entreposés gelés, et 3) des nids construits la même année par d’autres couples de gobemouches du même site. Un autre groupe de nids de gobemouches a été conservé tel quel en tant que pur contrôle, alors que quelques nids construits en 2007 par des mésanges bleues et repris par des gobemouches ont été utilisés pour une comparaison avec les nids du premier traitement. Aucun effet de l’espèce construisant le nid ou du site dans lequel le nid a été construit n’a été observé sur la présence d’acariens et de calliphores dans les nids de gobemouches noirs. Dans le cas des puces, un effet du site a été détecté, mais pas de l’espèce. D’autre part, la présence d’acariens et de calliphores différait entre les nids construits par des mésanges bleues et occupés soit par des mésanges bleues ou des gobemouches noirs. La composition du nid n’explique pas les fréquences différentes d’ectoparasites de nid chez des espèces coexistantes d’hôtes aviaires. Mots-clés : arthropode ectoparasite, cavités de nidification, construction de nid, échange de nid, faune ectoparasite, hôte aviaiPeer reviewe

Nest-climatic factors affect the abundance of biting flies and their effects on nestling condition

The first step in the establishment of a hostebiting fly relationship is host location. While a number of studies highlight the role of host emitted products as important cues affecting host location by biting flies, the role of host temperature is far from clear. We investigated the role of different nest microclimatic variables affecting the interaction between pied flycatchers and two biting flies: black flies and biting midges. Biting midge abundances increased with temperature inside the nest, supporting the potential importance of nest temperature as a cue used by insects to localize their hosts. The possibility that biting fly infestations were associated to ecological conditions in the vicinity of the nests is also discussed. Furthermore, we found a negative association between nestling weight (including tarsus length as a covariate in the analyses) and the interaction between the abundance of biting midges and the presence/ absence of black flies in nests. The potential negative effect of these ectoparasites on nestling weight (condition index) and potential differences in the bird phenotypic/genetic quality associated with nest site choice and parasite infestations are consideredPeer reviewe

Carotenoid-based plumage colouration is associated with blood parasite richness and stress protein levels in blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus)

Carotenoids are molecules that birds are not able to synthesize and therefore, must be acquired through their diet. These pigments, besides their function of giving birds red and yellow colouration when deposited in feath- ers, seem to act as immune-stimulators and antioxidants in the organism. Hence, only the healthiest individuals would be able to express carotenoid-based ornaments to a larger extent without compromising the physiological functions of carotenoids. Various studies have reported that birds infected by parasites are paler than those uninfected, but, to our knowledge, none of them has assessed the possible eVect of multiple infections by blood parasites on plumage colour. By comparing the yellow colour in the breast plumage of blue tits, Cyanistes caeruleus, between birds infected by diVerent numbers of blood parasite genera, we found that those birds infected by more than one genus were paler than those parasitized just by one. In addition, we examined the potential role of carotenoid-based plumage colour of blue tits as a long-term indicator of other parameters of health status, such as body condition and immunoglobulin and heat shock protein (HSP) levels. Our results indicate that more brightly coloured birds had lower HSP70 levels than paler birds, but we did not Wnd any signiWcant associa- tion between colour and body condition or immunoglobulin levels. In addition, we found a positive signiWcant associa- tion between Haemoproteus density of infection and HSP60 levels. Overall, these results support the role of carotenoid-based colours as indicators of health status in blue tits and show detrimental eVects of parasitism on this character.Peer reviewe