Ecology and energetics of breeding Puffins (Fractercula artica) : variations in individual reproductive effort and success

This study investigated reproductive effort and success of individual Atlantic Puffins (Fratercula arctica) on the Isle of May, Firth of Forth, Scotland. It placed particular emphasis on the role of body condition in breeding. An energetics approach was taken, where individual ’quality’ was considered in terms of foraging efficiency. The study also investigated whether breeding entailed costs for Puffins, in terms of individual survival and future reproductive potential, and whether such costs were mediated through body condition. Colour-ringed pairs of Puffins were followed through 3 successive breeding seasons and their reproductive performance and condition were monitored. Energy reserves carried by individuals (body condition indices) were estimated from live mass and body dimensions, using a carcass-derived equation to predict lean wet mass. Attempts were made at increasing the effort of rearing young, by playing chick begging calls and exchanging chicks between burrows, and decreasing effort, by supplementary feeding of young. Field energy expenditures were measured for a sample of parents during chick rearing using the doubly-labelled water technique, and these were compared with other potential measures of reproductive effort. The breeding success of individual parents was not related to body condition when a correlative approach was taken. Field metabolic rates (FMR’s) of 9 adults rearing young averaged 3.67 +/- 0.65 s.d cm' CO2 g'd ' or 874 +/- 151 kJd ' (c.3.5 times basal metabolic rate). Individual FMR’s were not related to other measures of reproductive effort used in the study. The above results were evaluated using graphical models, to demonstrate mechanisms by which the confounding effects of inter-individual differences in foraging efficiency on body condition could mask relationships between body condition, FMR and reproductive performance. The body condition of parents which experienced a decrea.se in rearing effort or an increase in effort did not differ significantly from that of controls at the end of the rearing period. This occurred even though parents whose young were fed substantially decreased the number of feeds they delivered to their young. Despite the apparent lack of an effect of the feeding treatment on condition, control pairs showed a lower return rate to the colony, lower breeding success, and produced young in ’poorer’ condition at peak mass than experimental parents whose young were fed for them in the previous year. The higher reproductive success of the experimental group suggested that Puffins on the Isle of May (control group) incurred inter-year reproductive costs when rearing young under natural conditions. These results were obtained in years when breeding conditions appeared to be relatively unfavourable for Puffins on the Isle of May, consistent with the view that reproductive costs may only be detectable in ’bad’ years. Mediation of such costs through body condition was not demonstrated, perhaps because the measure of condition used was unsuitable for Puffins; potential energy depots were discussed in relation to the life style of Puffins compared to other seabirds. Quantifying disturbance was not an original aim of the study but during fieldwork it became apparent that Puffins were sensitive to handling. The effects that handling and general disturbance had on the results of the .study were addressed but were unlikely to have influenced any of the conclusions presented

Simplification of the cutting plan for the Ouster working ci

Master of ScienceForestryUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/115840/1/39015003273243.pd

The role of sustainability education within dermatological surgery in the United Kingdom

Sustainability recognises the limited planetary resources and is characterised by being able to sufficiently meet the needs of the current population without compromising future generations. The most recent iteration of the General Medical Council (United Kingdom) ‘Outcome for Graduates’ document required newly qualified doctors to have knowledge of sustainable healthcare (General Medical Council, 2018). Medical education is a key pillar in empowering the medical workforce to recognise the sustainability of the health services they provide and build competencies to reconfigure services and care pathways that will be resilient to the effects of climate change. This correspondence discusses the role of sustainability education within dermatological surgery in the United Kingdom

La criminalité dans la baillie de Moustiers d'après les comptes de la première moitié du XIVe siècle

Québec Université Laval, Bibliothèque 201

A five-year review of quality of reporting of research using clinician surveys in high-ranked dermatology journals

Surveys of clinicians play a pivotal role in dermatology research, including to determine expert opinion, identify areas of uncertainty in clinical practice, define research priorities, investigate feasibility and explore areas of clinical equipoise. Despite the commonality of research involving surveys distributed to dermatologists, we previously identified the issue of poor‐quality survey design and lack of sufficient validation prior to distribution. Furthermore, a review of postal surveys of healthcare professionals from 1996 to 2005 has shown declining response rates, introducing potential non‐responder bias. To support stronger methodological quality and reporting of clinician survey, we developed a checklist for authors, based on our experience and published literature

Long-term management of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis with dupilumab and concomitant topical corticosteroids (LIBERTY AD CHRONOS): a critical appraisal

Aim Blauvelt et al. (The Lancet 2017; 389: 2287-303) aimed to compare the long-term efficacy and safety of dupilumab with medium-potency topical corticosteroids (TCS) versus placebo with TCS in adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD). Setting and design This multicentre randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in hospitals, clinics and academic institutions across 161 sites in 14 countries. Study exposure Adults with moderate-to-severe AD were randomly assigned (3:1:3) to receive subcutaneous dupilumab 300mg once weekly (qw) plus TCS, dupilumab 300mg every 2 weeks (q2w) plus TCS, or placebo plus TCS until week-52. Primary outcome measures Co-primary efficacy endpoints were patients (%) achieving Investigator's Global Assessment (IGA) 0/1 and 2-points or higher improvement from baseline, and Eczema Area and Severity Index 75% improvement from baseline (EASI-75) at week-16. Results 740 patients were included in the trial: 319 were randomly assigned to dupilumab qw, 106 to dupilumab q2w and 315 to the placebo arm. At week-16, more patients in the dupilumab groups achieved the co-primary endpoints: IGA 0/1 (39% [125 patients] qw dosing, 39% [41 patients] q2w dosing vs 12% [39 patients] receiving placebo; p<0.0001) and EASI-75 (64% [204] and 69% [73] vs 23% [73]; p<0.0001). Whilst no new safety signals were identified, adverse effects (AEs) were noted in 261 (83%) in those receiving dupilumab qw plus TCS, 97 (88%) dupilumab q2w plus TCS and 266 (84%) for placebo plus TCS. Rates of conjunctivitis, injection site reactions and local herpes simplex infections were higher in the dupilumab groups compared with placebo. Conclusions Blauvelt et al. concluded that dupilumab treatment added to TCS improved AD up to week-52 compared with TCS alone, and also demonstrated acceptable safety

A review of raptor and owl monitoring activity across Europe : its implications for capacity building towards pan-European monitoring

ABSTRACT Capsule: A questionnaire identified 1196 raptor monitoring species schemes within 236 monitoring programmes across 37 countries. Aims: To assess the level of monitoring of status/trends of raptors across Europe, to produce a webbased inventory of activities. Methods: A questionnaire promoted by voluntary national coordinators assessed monitoring coverage, focusing on breeding populations. Results: One thousand one hundred and ninety-six species schemes (236 monitoring programmes; 90% active in 2012) were reported from 37 countries. Sixty per cent of schemes were of over 10 years duration and nine countries ran schemes of over 40 years duration. Nineteen species had at least one scheme in 10 or more countries, and 15 species had schemes that ran for over 10 years. Thirteen species had breeding monitoring schemes in over 50% of countries where they breed, including widespread species (e.g. Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus) and localized species (e.g. Rough-legged Buzzard Buteo lagopus). Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus, Levant Sparrowhawk Accipiter brevipes and Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus had the least representative coverage, and four rare species had no coverage. Coverage was more representative in north and west Europe than further south and east. Coverage was more representative for widespread species and those with more favourable conservation status. Conclusions: Large potential exists to enhance reporting on status/trends, ecotoxicology analyses and volunteer-based monitoring at the pan-European scale. National coordinators provide an ideal network to develop and disseminate best practice guidance across Europe.Peer reviewe

Quantifying full phenological event distributions reveals simultaneous advances, temporal stability and delays in spring and autumn migration timing in long-distance migratory birds

Acknowledgements We thank all Fair Isle Bird Observatory staff and volunteers for help with data collection and acknowledge the foresight of George Waterston and Ken Williamson in instigating the observatory and census methodology. We thank all current and previous directors of Fair Isle Bird Observatory Trust for their contributions, particularly Dave Okill and Mike Wood for their stalwart support for the long-term data collection and for the current analyses. Dawn Balmer and Ian Newton provided helpful guidance on manuscript drafts. We thank Ally Phillimore and two anonymous referees for helpful comments. This study would have been impossible without the Fair Isle community's invaluable support and patience over many decades, which is very gratefully acknowledged. WTSM and JMR designed and undertook analyses, wrote the paper and contributed to data collection and compilation, MB contributed to analysis and editing, all other authors oversaw and undertook data collection and compilation and contributed to editing.Peer reviewedPostprin