Mammals adjust diel activity across gradients of urbanization

Time is a fundamental component of ecological processes. How animal behavior changes over time has been explored through well-known ecological theories like niche partitioning and predator–prey dynamics. Yet, changes in animal behavior within the shorter 24-hr light–dark cycle have largely gone unstudied. Understanding if an animal can adjust their temporal activity to mitigate or adapt to environmental change has become a recent topic of discussion and is important for effective wildlife management and conservation. While spatial habitat is a fundamental consideration in wildlife management and conservation, temporal habitat is often ignored. We formulated a temporal resource selection model to quantify the diel behavior of 8 mammal species across 10 US cities. We found high variability in diel activity patterns within and among species and species-specific correlations between diel activity and human population density, impervious land cover, available greenspace, vegetation cover, and mean daily temperature. We also found that some species may modulate temporal behaviors to manage both natural and anthropogenic risks. Our results highlight the complexity with which temporal activity patterns interact with local environmental characteristics, and suggest that urban mammals may use time along the 24-hr cycle to reduce risk, adapt, and therefore persist, and in some cases thrive, in human-dominated ecosystems

Poor mental health and sexual risk behaviours in Uganda: A cross-sectional population-based study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Poor mental health predicts sexual risk behaviours in high-income countries, but little is known about this association in low-income settings in sub-Saharan Africa where HIV is prevalent. This study investigated whether depression, psychological distress and alcohol use are associated with sexual risk behaviours in young Ugandan adults.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>Household sampling was performed in two Ugandan districts, with 646 men and women aged 18-30 years recruited. Hopkins Symptoms Checklist-25 was used to assess the presence of depression and psychological distress. Alcohol use was assessed using a question about self-reported heavy-episodic drinking. Information on sexual risk behaviour was obtained concerning number of lifetime sexual partners, ongoing concurrent sexual relationships and condom use.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Depression was associated with a greater number of lifetime partners and with having concurrent partners among women. Psychological distress was associated with a greater number of lifetime partners in both men and women and was marginally associated (p = 0.05) with having concurrent partners among women. Psychological distress was associated with inconsistent condom use among men. Alcohol use was associated with a greater number of lifetime partners and with having concurrent partners in both men and women, with particularly strong associations for both outcome measures found among women.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Poor mental health is associated with sexual risk behaviours in a low-income sub-Saharan African setting. HIV preventive interventions should consider including mental health and alcohol use reduction components into their intervention packages, in settings where depression, psychological distress and alcohol use are common.</p

The Five Marks of the Mental

The mental realm seems different to the physical realm; the mental is thought to be dependent on, yet distinct from the physical. But how, exactly, are the two realms supposed to be different, and what, exactly, creates the seemingly insurmountable juxtaposition between the mental and the physical? This review identifies and discusses five marks of the mental, features that set characteristically mental phenomena apart from the characteristically physical phenomena. These five marks (intentionality, consciousness, free will, teleology, and normativity) are not presented as a set of features that define mentality. Rather, each of them is something we seem to associate with phenomena we consider mental, and each of them seems to be in tension with the physical view of reality in its own particular way. It is thus suggested how there is no single mind-body problem, but a set of distinct but interconnected problems. Each of these separate problems is analyzed, and their differences, similarities and connections are identified. This provides a useful basis for future theoretical work on psychology and philosophy of mind, that until now has too often suffered from unclarities, inadequacies, and conflations.Peer reviewe

gallo_et_al_2019_AnimalEcology

R script, JAGS models, and data used to assess how urbanization changes predator avoidance behaviors in Chicago, IL US

Data from: Urbanization alters predator avoidance behaviors

1. Urbanization is considered the fastest growing form of global land use change and can dramatically modify habitat structure and ecosystem function. While ecological processes continue to operate within cities, urban ecosystems are profoundly different from their more natural counterparts. Thus, ecological predictions derived from more natural ecosystems are rarely generalizable to urban environments. 2. In this study we used data from a large-scale and long-term camera trapping project in Chicago IL, USA to determine whether urbanization alters predator avoidance behavior of urban prey species. 3. We studied three behavioral mechanisms often induced by the fear of predation (spatial distribution, daily activity patterns, and vigilance) of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) when coyote (Canis latrans) – an urban apex predator – was present in the same habitat patch. 4. We found no evidence of spatial segregation between coyote and either prey species. Furthermore, neither white-tailed deer nor eastern cottontail changed their daily activity or increased vigilance in urban areas when coyotes were present. Eastern cottontail, however, had their uppermost level of vigilance in highly urban sites when coyotes were absent. 5. Our study demonstrates that predator-prey dynamics might be modified in urban ecosystems – moving from what is traditionally thought of as a two-player system (predator and prey) to a three-player system (predator, prey, and people)

Data from: Mammal diversity and metacommunity dynamics in urban green spaces: implications for urban wildlife conservation

As urban growth expands and natural environments fragment, it is essential to understand the ecological roles fulfilled by urban green spaces. To evaluate how urban green spaces function as wildlife habitat, we estimated mammal diversity and metacommunity dynamics in city parks, cemeteries, golf courses, and natural areas throughout the greater Chicago, IL, USA region. We found similar α-diversity (with the exception of city parks), but remarkably dissimilar communities in different urban green spaces. Additionally, the type of urban green space greatly influenced species colonization and persistence rates. For example, coyotes (Canis latrans) had the highest, but white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) the lowest, probability of persistence in golf courses compared to other green space types. Further, most species had a difficult time colonizing city parks even when sites were seemingly available. Our results indicate that urban green spaces contribute different, but collectively important, habitats for maintaining and conserving biodiversity in cities

Integrating The Integrated Skin Exam film into medical education

AbstractBackgroundThe mortality rate for melanoma continues to rise and the greatest improvement in melanoma survival is attributable to early detection with skin cancer screening exams. However, physicians feel that limited training in the examination of skin and limited clinical time both serve as barriers to adequately assess high-risk lesions.ObjectiveTo test the use of The Integrated Skin Exam film as an instructional tool to teach the examination of skin in a live classroom setting, outside of the purview of the original formal study.MethodsIdentical cross-sectional surveys were administered pre- and post-film to a class of first-year medical students at the time of viewing The Integrated Skin Exam film. Results were compared to the initial assessment of this film as a teaching tool in a research setting.ResultsOf the maximum 182 possible surveys administered, we collected 148 pre-surveys and 142 post-surveys (81.3% and 78.0% 33 response rates, respectively). After viewing the film, students showed improvement in identification of high-risk demographic 34 groups (79.3% vs 58.9%, p&lt;0.001) and high-risk anatomic sites in both women (91.9% vs 59.6%, p&lt;0.001) and men (92% vs 35 62.1%, p&lt;0.001). Students demonstrated increased confidence in the skin cancer examination (SCE) (52.2% vs 6.9%, p&lt;0.001) and a greater proportion (74.4% vs 48.3%, p&lt;0.001) of students believed less than 3 minutes was required to integrate a skin cancer exam (SCE) into the routine examination.ConclusionsThe Integrated Skin Exam film is a valuable training tool as proven by increased knowledge of, and improved attitudes about the 2 SCE after viewing the film. In addition, there was a striking similarity in outcomes when using this film in a live classroom 3 environment compared to the original study setting

Integrating The Integrated Skin Exam film into medical education

AbstractBackgroundThe mortality rate for melanoma continues to rise and the greatest improvement in melanoma survival is attributable to early detection with skin cancer screening exams. However, physicians feel that limited training in the examination of skin and limited clinical time both serve as barriers to adequately assess high-risk lesions.ObjectiveTo test the use of The Integrated Skin Exam film as an instructional tool to teach the examination of skin in a live classroom setting, outside of the purview of the original formal study.MethodsIdentical cross-sectional surveys were administered pre- and post-film to a class of first-year medical students at the time of viewing The Integrated Skin Exam film. Results were compared to the initial assessment of this film as a teaching tool in a research setting.ResultsOf the maximum 182 possible surveys administered, we collected 148 pre-surveys and 142 post-surveys (81.3% and 78.0% 33 response rates, respectively). After viewing the film, students showed improvement in identification of high-risk demographic 34 groups (79.3% vs 58.9%, p&lt;0.001) and high-risk anatomic sites in both women (91.9% vs 59.6%, p&lt;0.001) and men (92% vs 35 62.1%, p&lt;0.001). Students demonstrated increased confidence in the skin cancer examination (SCE) (52.2% vs 6.9%, p&lt;0.001) and a greater proportion (74.4% vs 48.3%, p&lt;0.001) of students believed less than 3 minutes was required to integrate a skin cancer exam (SCE) into the routine examination.ConclusionsThe Integrated Skin Exam film is a valuable training tool as proven by increased knowledge of, and improved attitudes about the 2 SCE after viewing the film. In addition, there was a striking similarity in outcomes when using this film in a live classroom 3 environment compared to the original study setting

Gallo_et_al_2017_Ecological_Applications

R script, JAGS model, and data used to estimate -, -, and -diversity and community and population dynamics in urban green spaces in the Chicago metropolitan area, IL USA