Individual isotopic specializations predict subsequent inter-individual variation in movement in a freshwater fish

Despite many similarities and intuitive links between individual dietary specialization and behavioral inter-individual variation, these phenomena have been studied in isolation, and empirical data confirming relationships between these intraspecific variance sources are lacking. Here we use stable isotope analysis and acoustic telemetry to test the hypothesis that individual specialization in trophic (d15N) and littoral/pelagic prey reliance (d13C) covary with inter-individual variation in movement in a group of 34 free-swimming burbot (Lota lota). By performing stable isotope analysis on tissues with differing isotopic turnover rates (anal fin and dorsal muscle), in 24 lethally sampled burbot, we demonstrate that individual specialization in trophic niche (d15N) and li

A rapid staining technique for the detection of the initiation of germination of bacterial spores

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/75645/1/j.1472-765x.2002.01047.x.pd

'Education, education, education' : legal, moral and clinical

This article brings together Professor Donald Nicolson's intellectual interest in professional legal ethics and his long-standing involvement with law clinics both as an advisor at the University of Cape Town and Director of the University of Bristol Law Clinic and the University of Strathclyde Law Clinic. In this article he looks at how legal education may help start this process of character development, arguing that the best means is through student involvement in voluntary law clinics. And here he builds upon his recent article which argues for voluntary, community service oriented law clinics over those which emphasise the education of students

Some Varieties of Equational Logic (Extended Abstract)

... been a major theme of Joseph Goguen’s research, perhaps even the major theme. One strand of this work concerns algebraic datatypes. Recently there has been some interest in what one may call algebraic computation types. As we will show, these are also given by equational theories, if one only understands the notion of equational logic in somewhat broader senses than usual. One moral of our work is that, suitably considered, equational logic is not tied to the usual first-order syntax of terms and equations. Standard equational logic has proved a useful tool in several branches of computer science, see, for example, the RTA conference series [9] and textbooks, such as [1]. Perhaps the possibilities for richer varieties of equational logic discussed here will lead to further applications. We begin with an explanation of computation types. Starting around 1989, Eugenio Moggi introduced the idea of monadic notions of computation [11, 12

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

A synoptic history of the development, production and environmental oversight of hydropower in Brazil, Canada, and Norway

Sustainable global energy production is back-stopped by hydropower which is responsible for a significant share of the green energy produced worldwide. Hydropower, however, does not come without some environmental impacts but has worked to reduce those impacts. Here, we discuss the historical, legislative, and design configurations of hydropower facilities located in three of the world’s most important producers: Brazil, Canada, and Norway. The background is intended to inform the collection of scientific papers from each country aimed at assessing and improving the sustainability of hydropower production that form the core of this special issue on sustainable hydropower. We review the development and key legislative history for hydropower in each country and point out the common backgrounds and interests each nation has in the continued sustainable development of its hydropower resources. Keywords Hydropower regulation Development History Facilities Legislation Sustainable productio

A moving target - incorporating knowledge of the spatial ecology of fish into the assessment and management of freshwater fish populations

Freshwater fish move vertically and horizontally through the aquatic landscape for a variety of reasons, such as to find and exploit patchy resources or to locate essential habitats (e.g., for spawning). Inherent challenges exist with the assessment of fish populations because they are moving targets. We submit that quantifying and describing the spatial ecology of fish and their habitat is an important component of freshwater fishery assessment and management. With a growing number of tools available for studying the spatial ecology of fishes (e.g., telemetry, population genetics, hydroacoustics, otolith microchemistry, stable isotope analysis), new knowledge can now be generated and incorporated into biological assessment and fishery management. For example, knowing when, where, and how to deploy assessment gears is essential to inform, refine, or calibrate assessment protocols. Such information is also useful for quantifying or avoiding bycatch of imperiled species. Knowledge of habitat connectivity and usage can identify critically important migration corridors and habitats and can be used to improve our understanding of variables that influence spatial structuring of fish populations. Similarly, demographic processes are partly driven by the behavior of fish and mediated by environmental drivers. Information on these processes is critical to the development and application of realistic population dynamics models. Collectively, biological assessment, when informed by knowledge of spatial ecology, can provide managers with the ability to understand how and when fish and their habitats may be exposed to different threats. Naturally, this knowledge helps to better evaluate or develop strategies to protect the long-term viability of fishery production. Failure to understand the spatial ecology of fishes and to incorporate spatiotemporal data can bias population assessments and forecasts and potentially lead to ineffective or counterproductive management actions

Partial diel migration: A facultative migration underpinned by long-term inter-individual variation

The variations in migration that comprise partial diel migrations, putatively occur entirely as a consequence of behavioural flexibility. However, seasonal partial migrations are increasingly recognised to be mediated by a combination of reversible plasticity in response to environmental variation and individual variation due to genetic and environmental effects. Here, we test the hypothesis that while partial diel migration heterogeneity occurs primarily due to short-term within-individual flexibility in behaviour, long-term individual differences in migratory behaviour also underpin this migration variation. Specifically, we use a hierarchical behavioural reaction norm approach to partition within- and among-individual variation in depth use and diel plasticity in depth use, across short- and long-term time-scales, in a group of 47 burbot (Lota lota) tagged with depth-sensing acoustic telemetry transmitters. We found