An Overview of Pet Bird Nutrition

The clinically ill bird is often presented to the avian veterinarian with a variety of signs that are often vague. They include lethargy, weight loss, poor feathering, and loss of condition. The avian practitioner at this time begins to take a history and do a physical examination. In reaching a good definitive diagnosis, one aspect of avian disease is often overlooked. Improper nutrition is one of the most prevalent problems in avian medicine today. The practitioner must realize that a particular disease may be the result of a nutritional deficiency. Proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals are essential elements in the diet of a healthy bird. When a deficiency occurs, the body\u27s ability to resist disease is damaged. Nutritional deficiencies are also a sequelae to systemic diseases. When a bird is ill, its feed intake declines, therefore, its requirement for basic nutrients is not satisfied. Proper nutrition of the ill bird is essential for prompt recovery from other systemic illnesses. Hence, primary systemic disease and nutritional deficiency often occur simultaneously

Eastern Range Extension of \u3ci\u3eLeptoglossus Occidentalis\u3c/i\u3e With a Key to Leptoglossus Species of America North of Mexico (Heteroptera: Coreidae)

Leptoglossus occidentalis is reported for the first time from Illinois and Michigan, and confirmed for Indiana. A key to the species of Leptoglossus occurring in America north of Mexico is presented

Sexual Attraction Toward Clients, Use of Supervision, and Prior Training: A Qualitative Study of Predoctoral Psychology Interns

Interviews were conducted with 13 predoctoral psychology interns about an experience of sexual attraction toward a client, use of supervision to address the sexual attraction, and prior training regarding sexual attraction. Results indicated that sexual attraction to clients consisted of physical and interpersonal aspects. Therapists believed they were more invested and attentive than usual to clients to whom they were sexually attracted, and they indicated that sexual attraction created distance, distraction, and loss of objectivity. In terms of supervision, only half of the participants disclosed their sexual attraction to supervisors, and supervisors seldom initiated the discussion. Furthermore, trainees found it helpful when supervisors normalized the sexual attraction and provided the opportunity to explore feelings in supervision. Finally, trainees believed their training programs did not adequately address therapist sexual attraction

An empirically observed pitch-angle diffusion eigenmode in the Earth\u27s electron belt near L* = 5.0

Abstract Using data from NASA\u27s Van Allen Probes, we have identified a synchronized exponential decay of electron flux in the outer zone, near L* = 5.0. Exponential decays strongly indicate the presence of a pure eigenmode of a diffusion operator acting in the synchronized dimension(s). The decay has a time scale of about 4 days with no dependence on pitch angle. While flux at nearby energies and L* is also decaying exponentially, the decay time varies in those dimensions. This suggests the primary decay mechanism is elastic pitch angle scattering, which itself depends on energy and L *. We invert the shape of the observed eigenmode to obtain an approximate shape of the pitch angle diffusion coefficient and show excellent agreement with diffusion by plasmaspheric hiss. Our results suggest that empirically derived eigenmodes provide a powerful diagnostic of the dynamic processes behind exponential decays

Comparative population genomics of latitudinal variation in \u3ci\u3eDrosophila simulans\u3c/i\u3e and \u3ci\u3eDrosophila melanogaster\u3c/i\u3e

Examples of clinal variation in phenotypes and genotypes across latitudinal transects have served as important models for understanding how spatially varying selection and demographic forces shape variation within species. Here, we examine the selective and demographic contributions to latitudinal variation through the largest comparative genomic study to date of Drosophila simulans and Drosophila melanogaster, with genomic sequence data from 382 individual fruit flies, collected across a spatial transect of 19 degrees latitude and at multiple time points over 2 years. Consistent with phenotypic studies, we find less clinal variation in D. simulans than D. melanogaster, particularly for the autosomes. Moreover, we find that clinally varying loci in D. simulans are less stable over multiple years than comparable clines in D. melanogaster. D. simulans shows a significantly weaker pattern of isolation by distance than D. melanogaster and we find evidence for a stronger contribution of migration to D. simulans population genetic structure. While population bottlenecks and migration can plausibly explain the differences in stability of clinal variation between the two species, we also observe a significant enrichment of shared clinal genes, suggesting that the selective forces associated with climate are acting on the same genes and phenotypes in D. simulans and D. melanogaster. Includes supplementary materials

Comparative population genomics of latitudinal variation in \u3ci\u3eDrosophila simulans\u3c/i\u3e and \u3ci\u3eDrosophila melanogaster\u3c/i\u3e

Examples of clinal variation in phenotypes and genotypes across latitudinal transects have served as important models for understanding how spatially varying selection and demographic forces shape variation within species. Here, we examine the selective and demographic contributions to latitudinal variation through the largest comparative genomic study to date of Drosophila simulans and Drosophila melanogaster, with genomic sequence data from 382 individual fruit flies, collected across a spatial transect of 19 degrees latitude and at multiple time points over 2 years. Consistent with phenotypic studies, we find less clinal variation in D. simulans than D. melanogaster, particularly for the autosomes. Moreover, we find that clinally varying loci in D. simulans are less stable over multiple years than comparable clines in D. melanogaster. D. simulans shows a significantly weaker pattern of isolation by distance than D. melanogaster and we find evidence for a stronger contribution of migration to D. simulans population genetic structure. While population bottlenecks and migration can plausibly explain the differences in stability of clinal variation between the two species, we also observe a significant enrichment of shared clinal genes, suggesting that the selective forces associated with climate are acting on the same genes and phenotypes in D. simulans and D. melanogaster. Includes supplementary materials

Dynamically and Statistically Downscaled Seasonal Temperature and Precipitation Hindcast Ensembles for the Southeastern USA

We present results from a 15-year 10-member warm season (March–September) hindcast ensemble of maximum and minimum surface air temperatures and precipitation in southeast USA. The hindcasts are derived from the Florida State University/Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies Global Spectral Model (FSU/COAPS GSM) and downscaled using both the FSU/COAPS Nested Regional Spectral Model (NRSM) and a statistical downscaling method based on stochastic weather generator techniques. We additionally consider statistical bias correction of the dynamical model output. Basic descriptive statistics indicate that the bias-corrected and statistically downscaled data reduce the FSU/COAPS GSM bias considerably in terms of basic climatology. Statistics describing the daily precipitation process are improved by both downscaling techniques relative to the bias-corrected GSM. Improvement in monthly and seasonal hindcasts relative to FSU/COAPS GSM is spatially and temporally varying. Precipitation hindcasts are generally less skillful than those for temperature, although useful precipitation predictability exists at many locations. Hindcast improvements due to downscaling are greatest over peninsular Florida. The smallest root mean square errors (RMSE) for temperature hindcasts are found in the southern part of the study region during the spring months of March, April and May (MAM) for maximum surface air temperature, and in the summer, June, July and August (JJA), for minimum surface air temperature. Overall, there is no indication that either downscaling method has a direct advantage over the other