Analysis of the attempts to breed seabirds in uninhabited territories of the Haswell archipelago and Adams Island (East Antarctica)

Data on new breeding sites of seabirds in Antarctica allow a better understanding of spatial species distribution, correct population estimates, and the processes occurring in populations and ecosystems. The aim of the work is to compile and analyze knowledge about the spatial distribution of breeding seabird populations and attempts to breed in new, previously uninhabited territories. Ground-based observations and population counts were conducted at the Haswell archipelago (Queen Mary Land, Davis Sea) by several observers from 1912 to 2016. The total area studied was 12 km². An aerial census of penguins on Adams Island was conducted in 2011. Based on this census, it might be stated that 6 out of 9 breeding species of seabirds have made attempts to develop new breeding sites. Regular breeding of birds within the archipelago is established on 8 islands. Emperor Penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri), Snow Petrels (Pagodroma nivea) and South Polar Skuas (Stercorarius maccormicki) showed no change in spatial distribution. Adélie Penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae), Southern Fulmars (Fulmarus glacialoides), Cape Petrels (Daption capense) and mixed pairs of Brown Skua (Stercorarius antarcticus) × ​​South Polar Skua bred in new sites (6 islands and 1 nunatak). New likely breeding sites have been recorded for the Southern Fulmar, Cape Petrel and Wilson's Storm Petrel (Oceanites oceanicus). An unsuccessful breeding attempt in a previously uninhabited territory has been observed in the Antarctic Petrel (Thalassoica antarctica). New breeding sites for seabirds may result from the avoidance of predation by South Polar Skuas. Changes in local meteorological conditions could be a factor contributing to the breeding attempts by seabirds in the territories previously uninhabited by them. The increase in South Polar Skuas populations, invasion of Brown Skuas on the Haswell Islands, increased breeding attempts and occupation of new breeding sites by Adélie Penguins and tube-nosed seabirds in the early 21st century are evidence of changes in ecological conditions in the local ecosystem

Marine mammals records in the Haswell archipelago, East Antarctica

This is the first comprehensive review of marine mammal records from the Haswell archipelago (Davis Sea, East Antarctica), collected in 1912-2016. The goal of the review is to provide baseline ecological and faunal information on the marine mammals during the historical period (species diversity and status). Eight marine mammal species were recorded within the survey area. Ross seals (Ommatophoca rossii) and sei whales (Balaenoptera borealis) were seen very rarely. Killer whales (Orcinus orca), southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) and leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx) appeared rarely and few in numbers. Crabeater seals (Lobodon carcinophaga) were rare in general but common during the rare seasons of early fast ice breaking. Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) were common year-round. Antarctic minke whales (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) were seasonally common. Weddell seals and Antarctic minke whales were recorded annually. Only Weddell seals were found year-round. Leopard seals were seasonal residents, the remaining species were seasonal visitors in the area. The archipelago is an annual breeding site for Weddell seals (up to 10 pups per breeding season). Rare breeding of crabeater seals is possible. The information presented in this paper was obtained mostly through random observations and few historical records. During the long-term monitoring, a single agreed-upon data collection protocol was not used. As a result, the status of each marine mammal species in this paper should be regarded as preliminary. The review represents a basis for the development of further research programs. A unified protocol for the year-round registration of marine mammals under the conditions of the Mirny Station for the program for monitoring the biota of the Haswell archipelago is proposed

Multiple veto-players in Bosnia and Herzegovina: the effect on relations with the European Union

The problem of poor compliance of the Western Balkan nations with the accession requirements has particularly come to the fore in the recent years now that the EU is prioritizing the countries as the candidates next in line. The political science scholarship has identified various obstacles blocking the way of smooth and effective politico-economic integration of the Western Balkan nations, with some emphasizing state capture and high corruption levels (Vachudova, 2018) and others accentuating economic and social factors (Darbrowski, Myachenkova, 2018). However, existing research investigating the problems associated with the European accession has tended to overlook the internal institutional challenges impeding reforms and impairing chances of integration. This thesis, in turn, delves into the veto-players-laden Bosnian political system, thereby providing a key to a more thorough understanding of the mechanisms that serve as a stumbling block to accession progress of the country. The thesis uses veto-player theory by George Tsebelis as the main theoretical concept to unravel the constellation of veto players in the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina and attains its objective by relying on process-tracing as the main research method to analyze the reform progress. The results of the analysis reveal the direct detrimental effect of the convoluted political structure of Bosnia and Herzegovina on reform progress and relations with the EU. The number of veto-players and the (non-alignment) of their strategic interests prove sufficiently substantial to prevent change and retain status quo, thereby hampering the EU accession progress. In sum, the study contributes to the literature on EU accession and Europeanization by highlighting how the candidate-country institutional set-ups can impede reform progress and EU accession

Seabirds of human settlements in Antarctica: A case study of the Mirny Station

Antarctica is free of urbanisation, however, 40 year-round and 32 seasonal Antarctic stations operate there. The effects of such human settlements on Antarctic wildlife are insufficiently studied. The main aim of this study was to determine the organization of the bird population of the Mirny Station. The birds were observed on the coast of the Davis Sea in the Mirny (East Antarctica) from January 8, 2012 to January 7, 2013 and from January 9, 2015 to January 9, 2016. The observations were carried out mainly on the Radio and Komsomolsky nunataks (an area of about 0.5 km). The duration of observations varied from 1 to 8 hours per day. From 1956 to 2016, 13 non-breeding bird species (orders Sphenisciformes, Procellariiformes, Charadriiformes) were recorded in the Mirny. The South polar skuas (Catharacta maccormicki) and Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) form the basis of the bird population. South polar skuas are most frequently recorded at the station. Less common are Brown skuas (Catharacta antarctica lonnbergi) and Adélie penguins. Adélie penguins, Wilson's storm petrels (Oceanites oceanicus), South polar and Brown skuas are seasonal residents, the other species are visitors. Adélie penguins, Emperor (Aptenodytes forsteri), Macaroni (Eudyptes chrysolophus) and Chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarctica), Wilson's storm petrels, South polar and Brown skuas interacted with the station environment, using it for comfortable behavior, feeding, molting, shelter from bad weather conditions, and possible breeding. South polar and Brown skuas tend to be attracted to the station, while other Antarctic bird species are indifferent to humans. Birds spend part of the annual cycle at the station or visit it with different frequency, but they cannot meet their ecological needs there all year round. The study improves our understanding of the regularities of the phenomenon of urbanization of the avifauna in the polar regions of the planet Earth.

Compliance measurement-guided medication management programs in hypertension : a systematic review

Objectif principal: Il n’est pas démontré que les interventions visant à maîtriser voire modérer la médicamentation de patients atteints d’hypertension peuvent améliorer leur gestion de la maladie. Cette revue systématique propose d’évaluer les programmes de gestion contrôlée de la médicamentation pour l’hypertension, en s’appuyant sur la mesure de l’observance des traitements par les patients (CMGM). Design: Revue systématique. Sources de données: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, résumés de conférences internationales sur l’hypertension et bibliographies des articles pertinents. Méthodes: Des essais contrôlés randomisés (ECR) et des études observationnelles (EO) ont été évalués par 2 réviseurs indépendants. L’évaluation de la qualité (de ce matériel) a été réalisée avec l’aide de l’outil de Cochrane de mesure du risque de biais, et a été estimée selon une échelle à quatre niveaux de qualité Une synthèse narrative des données a été effectuée en raison de l'hétérogénéité importante des études. Résultats: 13 études (8 ECR, 5 EO) de 2150 patients hypertendus ont été prises en compte. Parmi elles, 5 études de CMGM avec l’utilisation de dispositifs électroniques comme seule intervention ont relevé une diminution de la tension artérielle (TA), qui pourrait cependant être expliquée par les biais de mesure. L’amélioration à court terme de la TA sous CMGM dans les interventions complexes a été révélée dans 4 études à qualité faible ou modérée. Dans 4 autres études sur les soins intégrés de qualité supérieure, il n'a pas été possible de distinguer l'impact de la composante CMGM, celle-ci pouvant être compromise par des traitements médicamenteux. L’ensemble des études semble par ailleurs montrer qu’un feed-back régulier au médecin traitant peut être un élément essentiel d’efficacité des traitements CMGM, et peut être facilement assuré par une infirmière ou un pharmacien, grâce à des outils de communication appropriés. Conclusions: Aucune preuve convaincante de l'efficacité des traitements CMGM comme technologie de la santé n’a été établie en raison de designs non-optimaux des études identifiées et des ualités méthodologiques insatisfaisantes de celles-ci. Les recherches futures devraient : suivre les normes de qualité approuvées et les recommandations cliniques actuelles pour le traitement de l'hypertension, inclure des groupes spécifiques de patients avec des problèmes d’attachement aux traitements, et considérer les résultats cliniques et économiques de l'organisation de soins ainsi que les observations rapportées par les patients.Objective: Whether interventions including measurement and correction of patients’ attitude to antihypertensive medication can improve hypertension management is unclear. The review aims to determine the effectiveness of patient compliance measurement-guided medication management (CMGM) programs in essential hypertension. Design: Systematic review. Data sources: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, hypertension meetings abstracts, and bibliographies of identified articles. Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCT) and observational studies (OS) were assessed by 2 reviewers independently. Quality assessment was performed with the Cochrane risk of bias tool and evaluated in a four-point continuum. A narrative data synthesis was performed due to significant heterogeneity among studies. Results: 13 studies (8 RCT, 5 OS) involving 2150 hypertensives were included. Five trials of CMGM with electronic devices as a sole intervention suggested decrease in blood pressure (BP) but the result may have been due to bias. Short-term BP improvement under CMGM in complex interventions was revealed in 4 studies of low-to-moderate quality. In 4 integrated care studies of higher quality the impact of CMGM component was not possible to distil and may be compromised by medication regimens. Regular feedback to the treating physician seems to be an essential component of CMGM and may be effectively mediated by a nurse or a pharmacist and via telecommunication. Conclusions: No convincing evidence for the effectiveness of CMGM as a health technology was found due to non-optimal study designs and methodological quality. Future research should follow accepted quality standards and current guidelines for the treatment of hypertension, include specific groups of patients with compliance problems and consider clinical, economic, patient-reported and organizational outcomes

Overcoming the Mental Set Effect in Programming Problem Solving

This paper adopts a cognitive psychology perspective to investigate the recurring mistakes in code resulting from the mental set (Einstellung) effect. The Einstellung effect is the tendency to approach problem-solving with a preconceived mindset, often overlooking better solutions that may be available. This effect can significantly impact creative thinking, as the development of patterns of thought can hinder the emergence of novel and creative ideas. Our study aims to test the Einstellung effect and the two mechanisms of its overcoming in the field of programming. The first intervention was the change of the color scheme of the code editor to the less habitual one. The second intervention was a combination of instruction to "forget the previous solutions and tasks" and the change in the color scheme. During the experiment, participants were given two sets of four programming tasks. Each task had two possible solutions: one using suboptimal code dictated by the mental set, and the other using a less familiar but more efficient and recommended methodology. Between the sets, participants either received no treatment or one of two interventions aimed at helping them overcome the mental set. The results of our experiment suggest that the tested techniques were insufficient to support overcoming the mental set, which we attribute to the specificity of the programming domain. The study contributes to the existing literature by providing insights into creativity support during problem-solving in software development and offering a framework for experimental research in this field.Comment: Accepted to PPIG'23, 15 pages, 5 figure

Enhanced Josephson coupling in hybrid nanojunctions

We have fabricated NbN/Au nanogaps and bridged them with an Al superconductor using Ti as an interlayer. The nanodevices show a critical current density at 300 mK as high as 3 7106A/cm2, which is 30% higher than that of Al nanowires with the same lateral dimensions as the NbN-based devices. The response of the critical current as a function of the external magnetic field clearly showed a Fraunhofer-like behavior, indicating a Josephson coupling between the NbN electrodes through the Al barrier. The superconducting transport evolves into different transport regimes as a function of the temperature. These findings demonstrate the importance of using superconducting barriers in hybrid nanodevices to achieve very high Josephson current in nanodevices of great relevance in superconducting circuits requiring high integration density