Duration of unassisted swimming activity for spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata) calves: implications for mother-calf separation during tuna purse-seine sets

Size-related differences in power production and swim speed duration may contribute to the observed deficit of nursing calves in relation to lactating females killed in sets by tuna purse-seiners in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean (ETP). Power production and swim-speed duration were estimated for northeastern spotted dolphins (Stenella attenuata), the species (neonate through adult) most often captured by the fishery. Power required by neonates to swim unassisted was 3.6 times that required of an adult to swim the same speed. Estimated unassisted burst speed for neonates is only about 3 m/s compared to about 6 m/s for adults. Estimated long-term sustainable speed is about 1 m/s for neonates compared to about 2.5 m/s for adults. Weight-specific power requirements decrease as dolphin calves increase in size, but power estimates for 2-year-old spotted dolphin calves are still about 40% higher than power estimates for adults, to maintain the same speed. These estimated differences between calves and adults are conservative because the calculations do not include accommodation for reduced aerobic capacity in dolphin calves compared to adults. Discrepancies in power production are probably ameliorated under normal circumstances by calves drafting next to their mothers, and by employing burst-coast or leap-burst-coast swimming, but the relatively high speeds associated with evasion behaviors during and after tuna sets likely diminish use of these energy-saving strategies by calves

#StandWithCongo

On Monday 24th October, I attended the London premiere of the documentary When Elephants Fight at the LSE.[1] What I watched left me both stunned and appalled. I would urge you all to find an opportunity to watch the documentary and join in on the debate. #StandWithCong

Russian and Ukrainian: Like Two Drops of Water

Ukraine and Russia, both in the international spotlight, have similar national languages that are often misrepresented as being entirely mutually intelligible. While both languages do, in fact, have the same lineage, Ukraine has, over time, developed linguistic independence in a distinct language separate from Russian. The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine has renewed public interest in both the Ukrainian and Russian languages, but there are still stark differences, both socio-politically and linguistically, which are not widely known or appreciated. A brief, historical description of a few lexical, phonological, and orthographic differences between the two languages can illustrate the importance of linguistic independence and diversity. Understanding language use in other cultures that differ from our own helps us expand our view of the world, encouraging us to reflect on the ways language affects geopolitics, how we got to where we are, and what could be done to avoid further conflict

Secular trends in low birth weight and preterm birth disparity between infants born to teenage and adult mothers: An exploratory analysis

Introduction. Increased risk of preterm birth and low birthweight for infants born to teenage mothers (15-19), when compared to infants born to adult mothers (20-29), is well documented in the United States. Trends in preterm birth and low birthweight are also well documented over time. Examination of the difference in incidence of preterm birth or low birthweight between infants born to teenage mothers and to adult mothers over time is not present in the literature. This study aimed to fill this gap in the literature and determine how preterm birth and low birthweight differences have changed over time. Methods. Natality datasets originated from the National Center for Health Statistics. Seventeen years of data were combined into one dataset of summary statistics for each variable for each year. The samples for each year were restricted to singleton first births. Graphical analysis and simple and multiple linear regression analyses were performed. Results. The gap in incidence between infants born to teenage mothers and infants born to adult mothers for both preterm birth and low birthweight decreased over time by an estimated 0.06% and 0.03% per year, respectively. Incidence difference and trends over time differed by race and marital status in graphical analyses. Year was a significant predictor for both preterm birth difference and low birthweight difference in simple linear regression models. Year remained significant in the preterm birth multiple linear regression model, but not in the low birthweight model. Discussion. The gap in incidence of birth outcomes between infants born to teenage and to adult mothers has closed over time. Similar incidence of preterm birth or low birthweight between different race or marital status strata of mothers indicates that there were more important factors than maternal age that influenced preterm birth or low birthweight. The groups with the highest risk for preterm birth or low birthweight have experienced decreasing incidence over time

A phenomenological analysis of women's choices, expectations and experiences when intending to give birth in a birth centre

The aim of this study was to explore the factors that influenced women to choose care in a birth centre in the South Wales Valleys, and to ascertain their expectations and experiences of care in the antenatal period and during labour. The possibility of complications arising during normal pregnancy is a well-known phenomenon, leading to a woman‘s care being transferred from a midwife to an obstetrician. For women intending to give birth in the birth centre, this also meant having care transferred to the District General Hospital eight miles distant. Experiences of those women who had care transferred were of a particular interest. Even though transfer is a common occurrence, little research exploring the effects of this from the woman‘s perspective has been carried out. The study was qualitative, using thematic analysis based on Gadamerian phenomenological principles. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with a purposeful sample of twenty women who described their antenatal experiences. Five of the women were later transferred from midwifery-led to obstetric-led care in the obstetric unit, with three of the transfers occurring during labour. A second interview was held with these five women to explore their experiences further. Key findings indicate that women choose the birth centre for its friendly, welcoming environment and woman-centred midwifery care. The influence and importance of family around the time of birth was a notable feature. Women transferred in labour subsequently experienced a different model of care, which for one woman meant that she remained empowered to make choices and decisions about her labour, whilst two other women felt some aspects of care to be mechanistic and impersonal. Recommendations from the study include further, larger scale research into women‘s experiences of transfer. Areas where specific guidance and education may be beneficial are suggested, to give a better understanding of those aspects of transfer that might affect women

The Effects of a Yoga Intervention on Cognitive Function in Older Adults

Cognitive decline and reduced cognitive function presents a serious risk to the older adult population. As the population of individuals over the age of 65 continues to increase, this presents a need for effective solutions to help people sustain healthy, independent lifestyles. Currently, physical activity is recommended for physical health in older adults and has shown evidence in maintaining cognitive function. In particular, the mind-body practice of yoga is a promising form of physical exercise that shows positive cognitive benefits. While the effects of yoga appear to be promising, the current literature is lacking scientific rigor. This study investigated the effects of a six-week yoga practice on older adults in a standardized response inhibition task called the stop-signal task compared with a sedentary control group that performed six-weeks of computer-based cognitive training exercises. This task provides a precise measure of response inhibition, a key component of cognitive performance. We hypothesized that older adults would show increased cognitive performance as observed through a measure of response inhibition (i.e. stop signal reaction time, or SSRT). Following the 6-week interventions, a two-way mixed model ANOVA revealed no meaningful differences between either group for go reaction time (F = 0.0292, p = 0.868) or SSRT (F = 0.0901, p = 0.77). There was, however, was a trend toward improvement with the SSRT following both interventions (F = 3.467, p = 0.092). The overall trend toward improvement in SSRT for both groups could possibly support both yoga and computer-based cognitive training (such as Lumosity) as viable methods for improving this aspect of cognitive function. However, due to a number of methodological issues, such as recruitment challenges that resulted in a small sample size, further research is required

Immersive histories: : Photography and The Absorption of the Past

Photographs create a saturating awareness of the past in public spaces, notably the street and the open-air as sensorially immersive spaces. I considered how photographs operate as an unintentional encounter with, and immersion in, the past, generating a low-level sense of the value of that past. Departing from technologies of immersion in the usual sense, and from self-conscious and intentional engagements with the visual, I draw on ideas of non-cognitive awareness and the fugitive practices that exist in the dynamics of susceptibility at the interstices of everyday life.  I consider how, since the nineteenth century, and into the digital age, photographs have created historically-scripted spaces and an immersive sense of historical connection and continuity, creating an intensification of historical imagination and coherence of sentiment. In this, the immediacy of photographs is used to create banal, folded presences of the past, a historical ‘habitus’ which intensifies the space-time of the street. &nbsp