Experimental chronic noise is related to elevated fecal corticosteroid metabolites in lekking male greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus).

There is increasing evidence that individuals in many species avoid areas exposed to chronic anthropogenic noise, but the impact of noise on those who remain in these habitats is unclear. One potential impact is chronic physiological stress, which can affect disease resistance, survival and reproductive success. Previous studies have found evidence of elevated stress-related hormones (glucocorticoids) in wildlife exposed to human activities, but the impacts of noise alone are difficult to separate from confounding factors. Here we used an experimental playback study to isolate the impacts of noise from industrial activity (natural gas drilling and road noise) on glucocorticoid levels in greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), a species of conservation concern. We non-invasively measured immunoreactive corticosterone metabolites from fecal samples (FCMs) of males on both noise-treated and control leks (display grounds) in two breeding seasons. We found strong support for an impact of noise playback on stress levels, with 16.7% higher mean FCM levels in samples from noise leks compared with samples from paired control leks. Taken together with results from a previous study finding declines in male lek attendance in response to noise playbacks, these results suggest that chronic noise pollution can cause greater sage-grouse to avoid otherwise suitable habitat, and can cause elevated stress levels in the birds who remain in noisy areas

Affect and Cognition in Managerial Decision Making: A Systematic Literature Review of Neuroscience Evidence

How do affect and cognition interact in managerial decision making? Over the last decades, scholars have investigated how managers make decisions. However, what remains largely unknown is the interplay of affective states and cognition during the decision-making process. We offer a systematization of the contributions produced on the role of affect and cognition in managerial decision making by considering the recent cross-fertilization of management studies with the neuroscience domain. We implement a Systematic Literature Review of 23 selected contributions dealing with the role of affect and cognition in managerial decisions that adopted neuroscience techniques/points of view. Collected papers have been analyzed by considering the so-called reflexive (X-) and reflective (C-) systems in social cognitive neuroscience and the type of decisions investigated in the literature. Results obtained help to support an emerging “unified” mind processing theory for which the two systems of our mind are not in conflict and for which affective states have a driving role toward cognition. A research agenda for future studies is provided to scholars who are interested in advancing the investigation of affect and cognition in managerial decision making, also through neuroscience techniques – with the consideration that these works should be at the service of the behavioral strategy field

Effects of Experimentally Elevated Traffic Noise on Nestling White-Crowned Sparrow Stress Physiology, Immune Function and Life History

Roads have been associated with behavioral and physiological changes in wildlife. In birds, roads decrease reproductive success and biodiversity and increase physiological stress. Although the consequences of roads on individuals and communities have been well described, the mechanisms through which roads affect birds remain largely unexplored. Here, we examine one mechanism through which roads could affect birds: traffic noise. We exposed nestling mountain white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys oriantha) to experimentally elevated traffic noise for 5 days during the nestling period. Following exposure to traffic noise we measured nestling stress physiology, immune function, body size, condition and survival. Based on prior studies, we expected the traffic noise treatment to result in elevated stress hormones (glucocorticoids), and declines in immune function, body size, condition and survival. Surprisingly, nestlings exposed to traffic noise had lower glucocorticoid levels and improved condition relative to control nests. These results indicate that traffic noise does affect physiology and development in white-crowned sparrows, but not at all as predicted. Therefore, when evaluating the mechanisms through which roads affect avian populations, other factors (e.g. edge effects, pollution and mechanical vibration) may be more important than traffic noise in explaining elevated nestling stress responses in this species

Evidences for a double component in the emission of GRB 101023

In this work we present the results of the analysis of GRB 101023 in the fireshell scenario. Its redshift is not known, so we attempted to infer it from the Amati Relation, obtaining z = 0.9. Its light curve presents a double emission, which makes it very similar to the already studied GRB 090618. We called each part Episode 1 and Episode 2. We performed a time-resolved spectral analysis with RMFIT using different spectral models, and fitted the light curve with a numerical code integrating the fireshell equations of motion. We used Fermi GBM data to build the light curve, in particular the second NaI detector, in the range (8.5–1000 keV). We considered different hypotheses regarding which part of the light curve could be the GRB and performed the analysis of all of them. We noticed a great variation of the temperature with time in the first episode, as well as almost no variation of the progenitor radius. We found that the first emission does not match the requirements for a GRB, while the second part perfectly agrees with being a canonical GRB, with a P-GRB lasting 4 s

Recommended management strategies to limit anthropogenic noise impacts on greater sage-grouse in Wyoming

Recent research has demonstrated that noise from natural gas development negatively impacts sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) abundance, stress levels, and behaviors. Other types of anthropogenic noise sources are similar to gas-development noise and, thus, the response by sage-grouse is likely to be similar. The results of research suggest that effective management of the natural soundscape is critical to the conservation and protection of sage-grouse. The goals of this review are to discuss current approaches in the management of new and existing noise sources in Wyoming and recommend research priorities for establishing effective noise management strategies. We make 4 interim recommendations: (1) that noise-management objectives should be set relative to typical ambient noise levels in sage-grouse habitat before development; the best currently available measuremenet of residual noise levels levels (L90) in undisturbed areas suggest an ambient level of 16 to 20 dBA; (2) that an increase in median noise levels (L50) of 10 dBA above ambient be allowed; (3) that management strategies be expanded to protect the soundscape in areas critical for mating, foraging, nesting, and brood-rearing activities of sage-grouse, rather than protecting the lek area alone; and (4) management strategies be focused on the siting of roads or limiting of traffic volumes during crucial times of the day (0600 to 0900 hours) and season (i.e., breeding season), rather than setting targets for vehicle noise exposure. Roads should be sited or traffic should be seasonally limited within 1.3 to 1.7 km from the edge of critical areas for nesting, foraging and breeding. We emphasize that protections based on these interim recommendations may need to be revised upon completion of ongoing and future research

The canonical GRB scenario

The canonical GRB scenario implied by the fireshell model is briefly summarized