Are Purple Hermit Crabs (Coenobita brevimanus) Seed Dispersers or Predators?

Vertebrate frugivores play an important role in forests by dispersing seeds and helping improve germination through gut passage. Some frugivores may also be seed predators, where the seed is destroyed through gut passage. On the island of Saipan, the native frugivores are birds, bats, and crabs. This experiment focused on purple hermit crabs, Coenobita brevimanus, which are known to consume fruits, but it is unknown whether purple hermit crabs disperse or predate the seeds they consume. A maximum of ten purple hermit crabs, ranging in size from medium to large individuals, were captured from the forest and kept in captivity. In captivity, they were fed native fruits including Premna (Premna mariannarum or Premna paulobarbata), Ficus (Ficus prolixa), Aglaia (Lansium parasiticum), and Guamia (Guamia mariannae) and non-native fruits including papaya (Carica papaya) collected in the wild. The cage was inspected to see if fruits were consumed but the seeds were not ingested, and the fecal matter was searched for damaged seeds (crushed or in pieces) or undamaged seeds (whole or intact). Analysis of predation or dispersal was done using logistic regression. It was hypothesized that purple hermit crabs are beneficial seed dispersers, passing most seeds unharmed for both native and non-native fruiting tree species. As beneficial frugivores, purple hermit crabs could play a significant role in dispersing seeds in the forests of Saipan

Human Dimensions of the Frederick City Watershed

Final project for CONS670 Conservation Biology (Fall 2014). Sustainable Development and Conservation Biology, University of Maryland, College Park.The Frederick City Watershed is a multi-use property with the primary function of providing clean water for The City of Frederick, but also provides many opportunities for recreation. Our research focused on analyzing the historical and current human dimensions of the Frederick City Watershed to inform management decisions. To better understand the makeup of recreational user groups and their impact on the watershed, both interviews and surveys were conducted. Interviews with Frederick City Watershed stakeholders provided historical context related to land use activities, forest cover, wetland modification, native species distribution, and management decisions. The surveys of recreational users imparted a better understanding of use and perceptions of the Frederick City Watershed. From the surveys and interviews, eight main topics of interest were identified for further discussion: user group demographics, environmental concerns, trail signage, trail conditions, garbage and illegal dumping, invasive species, forest purpose, and safety. Public perception on each of these topics is expanded through quantitative survey data and user comments within the report. We recommend creating a Recreation Management Plan for the Frederick City Watershed geared toward the multi-user group community. Besides the watershed’s primary function as a source of high quality water, survey responses and user comments can be used to pinpoint the areas of greatest concern to the majority of users and help narrow the focus of the Recreation Management Plan to the most pressing issues facing the Frederick City Watershed.The City of Frederic

Creative leisure activities, mental health and well-being during 5 months of the COVID-19 pandemic: a fixed effects analysis of data from 3725 US adults

Introduction: We investigated whether changes in engagement in home-based creative activities were associated with changes in depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms and life satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic, aiming to replicate findings from the UK in a USA sample. Methods: 3725 adults were included from the COVID-19 Social Study in the USA, a panel study collecting data weekly during the COVID-19 pandemic. We measured engagement in eight types of creative leisure activities on the previous weekday between April and September 2020. Data were analysed using fixed effects regression models. Results: Increased time spent gardening was associated with reductions in depressive and anxiety symptoms and enhanced life satisfaction. Spending more time doing woodwork/DIY and arts/crafts were also associated with enhanced life satisfaction. However, more time watching television, films or other similar media (not for information on COVID-19) was associated with increased depressive symptoms. Other creative activities were not associated with mental health or well-being. Conclusion: Some findings differ from evidence obtained in the UK, demonstrating the importance of replicating research across countries. Our findings should also be considered when formulating guidelines for future stay-at-home directives, enabling individuals to stay well despite the closure of public resources

Who Engaged in Home-Based Arts Activities During the COVID-19 Pandemic? A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Data From 4,731 Adults in the United States

Arts engagement is a health-related behavior that may be influenced by social inequalities. While the COVID-19 pandemic provided new opportunities for some people to engage in the arts, it might have created barriers for others. We aimed to examine whether there was social patterning in home-based arts engagement during the pandemic in the United States, and whether predictors of engagement differed according to the type of arts activity. We included 4,731 adults who participated in the United States COVID-19 Social Study between April and July 2020. Three types of home-based arts engagement were considered: reading for pleasure, arts or crafts activities, and digital arts activities. Using logistic regression models, we tested cross-sectional associations between a broad range of demographic, socioeconomic, psychosocial, and health-related factors as well as adverse events and worries during lockdown and each type of arts engagement. The factors most strongly associated with all three types of arts engagement were social support, social network size, age, race/ethnicity, keyworker status, and experiencing physical or psychological abuse during the pandemic. However, most socioeconomic and health-related factors were not associated with arts engagement, including household income and mental and physical health problems. Overall, our findings indicate that the social gradient in arts engagement was reduced in the first 4 months of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Given the health benefits of arts engagement, the potential diversification of arts audiences during the pandemic is promising for both population-level health and wellbeing and the future of the arts and cultural sector

Notes towards a history of Khoi literature

This article puts forward a revisionist history of Khoi literature, and also presents a number of translated Khoi narratives that have not been available in English before. Compared to the large volume of Bushman literature and scholarship, there has been very little Khoi literature and engagement with it, and an argument is presented to account for this gap in South African cultural history. Until now, the major source of Khoi literature was Wilhelm Bleek’s Reynard the Fox in South Africa (1864), and this text is critically interrogated as a limiting version of Khoi orature. An alternative corpus of Khoi narratives is presented that was originally published in Leonard Schultze’s Aus Namaland und Kalahari (1907).Web of Scienc

The Grizzly, November 13, 2003

The Power of Puppets: Spiral Q at Ursinus • Registration Frustration • Philly Re-elects John Street as Mayor • First Injectable Male Contraceptive • Campus Connection: Spotlight on NYU and Student Suicide • Rush Begins at Ursinus • Cellphones Used to Cheat: Will This Technology Tempt Students at Ursinus? • Opinions: John Street: A Better Choice for Philadelphia Mayor; Die in Peace or Stay Alive?; Careers over Children; Why You Should Vote • Academy of Sportfighting • Networking for Holidays • Halloween Extravaganzas: Frightful Night for the Senior Class; Smoking Party • Musical Performances in UC History • Myrin Library now Recycles! • Field Hockey\u27s Season Cut Short • Women\u27s Soccer Team has a Record Breaking Season • UC Football: Skid Continueshttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1548/thumbnail.jp

Household Responses to School Closure Resulting from Outbreak of Influenza B, North Carolina

Parents accepted school closure during an outbreak, but children’s presence in other public settings has implications for pandemic planning

Social Justice Picture Books

This project is made possible with funding by the Government of Ontario and through eCampusOntario’s support of the Virtual Learning Strategy (VLS) and Central Virtual Learning Platform (CVLP). To learn more about VLS and CVLP visit: https://vls.ecampusontario.ca.This project is made possible with funding by the Government of Ontario and through eCampusOntario’s support of the Virtual Learning Strategy (VLS) and Ontario Exchange (OEX). To learn more about VLS and OEX visit: https://vls.ecampusontario.ca.I. Main BodyII. Anti-BullyingIII. Mental HealthIV. Human RightsV. Gender Identity & Gender RolesVI. PeaceVII. Anti-PovertyVIII. Anti-RacismIX. EnvironmentX. Indigenous PerspectivesA collection of lesson plans for grades 4-8 based on picture books dealing with social justice. The lessons focus on Literacy but many also connect across subjects to Social Studies (geography and history), Health, the Arts, or Science & Technolog

Chronic kidney disease and valvular heart disease: conclusions from a Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) Controversies conference

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major risk factor for valvular heart disease (VHD). Mitral annular and aortic valve calcifications are highly prevalent in CKD patients and commonly lead to valvular stenosis and regurgitation, as well as complications including conduction system abnormalities and endocarditis. VHD, especially mitral regurgitation and aortic stenosis, is associated with significantly reduced survival among CKD patients. Knowledge related to VHD in the general population is not always applicable to CKD patients because the pathophysiology may be different, and CKD patients have a high prevalence of comorbid conditions and elevated risk for periprocedural complications and mortality. This Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) review of CKD and VHD seeks to improve understanding of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of VHD in CKD by summarizing knowledge gaps, areas of controversy, and priorities for research