A comparative study of differential selection pressure over the nesting cycle in birds

Reproductive allocation varies greatly across species and is determined by their life-history and ecology. This variation is usually assessed as the number of eggs or propagules (hereafter: fecundity). However, in species with parental care, individuals face trade-offs that affect the allocation of resources among the stages of reproduction as well as to reproduction as a whole. Thus, it is critical to look beyond fecundity to understand the evolution of life-histories and how investment into different reproductive components interact with each other. Here we assessed the influence of species-specific traits and ecological factors on interspecific variation in reproductive performance at each nesting stage of 72 avian populations. Annual productivity was unrelated to annual fecundity. Annual fecundity correlated positively with a fast life-history pace, precociality and non-migratory habits, but these traits were unrelated to reproductive success. Rather, the breeding ecology of a species determined productivity at each stage of nesting, but did not influence fecundity. These results challenge prevailing theory and emphasize that conclusions of interspecific variation in fitness based on numbers of eggs may be equivocal. Moreover, parental decisions regarding reproductive allocation face diverse constraints at different stages of reproduction, influencing the evolution of reproductive tactics in species with parental care

The Revitalization of the Neighborhood Movie House and It's Role in the Community, The Avalon Theater, Chevy Chase D.C.

The movie has traditionally been an important part of American mass culture. It has reflected the changes that have taken place in American life since the turn of the century. Entertainment and the entertainment industry depended heavily not only on the entertainment value of a movie, but also the architectural and social experience of going to the movie theater. In the 1950's, television surpassed the movie as the top choice of entertainment for the American public. By the 1960's grand movie palaces as well as art deco neighborhood movie houses all across the United States began to disappear. By the early 1970's, "mutli-plexes" with many screens were placed in shopping malls and strip malls, and took on more of a regional rather than a community role. I propose an addition and renovation to the Avalon Theater, a neighborhood movie house in Chevy Chase, D.C., to reintegrate the movie-going experience with a community focus thus reinvigorating this important 'place' of American mass culture. This thesis will incorporate a master plan for the block, and a program that will expand the services of the traditional movie theater by establishing exhibitions, and integrating retail and/or office space, along with community spaces in an attempt to enliven the area during the day, as well as at night. It will also involve looking at the Avalon Theater in a larger context as it relates to the stretch of commercial development along Connecticut Avenue south of Chevy Chase Circle

Family living: an overlooked but pivotal social system to understand the evolution of cooperative breeding

Bird breeding systems are more diverse than previously appreciated. Here we show that defining an intermediate breeding system, family breeding, where individuals postpone their dispersal but do not cooperate in reproduction, is a natural extension of the widely accepted 2-category system (pair vs. cooperative breeding). Evolution of prolonged association of offspring with parents appears to be possible in cases where it extends into unfavorable periods of environmental conditions such as autumn/winte

LMDA Review, volume 12, issue 2

Contents include: Relevance, Residency & Playwriting, The Dramaturgy Residency Project Overview, Residency Project One: Kristen Gandrow at Voice & Vision, Interview with the Dramaturg Kristen Gandrow, Residency Project Two: Brad Rothbart at INTAR Hispanic American Arts Center, Interview with the Dramaturg Brad Rothbart, Residency Project Three: Maxine Kern at New Dramatists, Interview with the Artistic Director Todd London, Interview with the Dramaturg Maxine Kern, Michele Volansky President-Elect of LMDA, LMDA at the Crossroads, Conference 2002 Vancouver, British Columbia, Conference Overview (tentative), LMDA Canada Report, The Musical Structure of Playwriting: A Planel Discussion, and Announcing our new Administrator Cynthia Croot. Issue editor: Gretchen Haleyhttps://soundideas.pugetsound.edu/lmdareview/1025/thumbnail.jp

Deep Reef Benthos of Bermuda: Field Identification Guide

Deep Reef Benthos of Bermuda builds on the video and imagery data collected during Nekton’s Mission – the XL Catlin Deep Ocean Survey - and provides a photographic guide for the visual identification of many of the corals, marine plants and other common invertebrates that inhabit Bermuda’s outer deep reefs.This guide is designed to aid marine biologists, divers and naturalists with the identification of organisms as seen in underwater footage or live in the field.</div

Restoring native forest understory: The influence of ferns and light in a hawaiian experiment

Ecological restoration is an increasingly important component of sustainable land management. We explore potential facilitative relationships for enhancing the cost-effectiveness of restoring native forest understory, focusing on two factors: (1) overstory shade and (2) possible facilitation by a fern (Dryopteris wallichiana), one of few native colonists of pasture in our montane Hawai\u27i study system. We planted 720 understory tree seedlings and over 4000 seeds of six species under six planting treatments: a full factorial combination of low, medium and high light, situating plantings in either the presence or absence of a mature fern. After three years, 75% of outplanted seedlings survived. Seedling survivorship was significantly higher in the presence of a fern (79% vs. 71% without a fern) and in medium and low light conditions (81% vs. 64% in high light). Relative height was highest at low to medium light levels. After 2.2 years, 2.8% of the planted seeds germinated. We observed no significant differences in seed germination relative to light level or fern presence. Analyzing several approaches, we found nursery germination of seeds followed by outplanting ca. 20% less costly than direct seeding in the field. This study opens new questions about facilitation mechanisms that have the potential to increase the extent and effectiveness of restoration efforts. © 2013 by the authors

Patients with Complex Chronic Diseases: Perspectives on Supporting Self-Management

A Complex Chronic Disease (CCD) is a condition involving multiple morbidities that requires the attention of multiple health care providers or facilities and possibly community (home)-based care. A patient with CCD presents to the health care system with unique needs, disabilities, or functional limitations. The literature on how to best support self-management efforts in those with CCD is lacking. With this paper, the authors present the case of an individual with diabetes and end-stage renal disease who is having difficulty with self-management. The case is discussed in terms of intervention effectiveness in the areas of prevention, addiction, and self-management of single diseases. Implications for research are discussed

Defining the genotypic and phenotypic spectrum of X-linked MSL3-related disorder

PURPOSE: We sought to delineate the genotypic and phenotypic spectrum of female and male individuals with X-linked, MSL3-related disorder (Basilicata-Akhtar syndrome). METHODS: Twenty-five individuals (15 males, 10 females) with causative variants in MSL3 were ascertained through exome or genome sequencing at ten different sequencing centers. RESULTS: We identified multiple variant types in MSL3 (ten nonsense, six frameshift, four splice site, three missense, one in-frame-deletion, one multi-exon deletion), most proven to be de novo, and clustering in the terminal eight exons suggesting that truncating variants in the first five exons might be compensated by an alternative MSL3 transcript. Three-dimensional modeling of missense and splice variants indicated that these have a deleterious effect. The main clinical findings comprised developmental delay and intellectual disability ranging from mild to severe. Autism spectrum disorder, muscle tone abnormalities, and macrocephaly were common as well as hearing impairment and gastrointestinal problems. Hypoplasia of the cerebellar vermis emerged as a consistent magnetic resonance image (MRI) finding. Females and males were equally affected. Using facial analysis technology, a recognizable facial gestalt was determined. CONCLUSION: Our aggregated data illustrate the genotypic and phenotypic spectrum of X-linked, MSL3-related disorder (Basilicata-Akhtar syndrome). Our cohort improves the understanding of disease related morbidity and allows us to propose detailed surveillance guidelines for affected individuals