Wpływ hałasu drogowego na ptaki

The dynamic development of road infrastructure negatively influences the natural environment and animals using habitats near roads. The main negative effects of this process are primarily: loss and fragmentation of habitats. Another problem is an increase in pollutants and noise intensity in the vicinity of roads. An important problem is negative influence of traffic noise on animals and especially birds. Road noise generate by vehicles disturb vocal communication between birds, mainly in the time of pair formation and early incubation period. Difficulties in communication evoked by noise seem to be one of the main problems in functioning in noisy surroundings. The main functions of birds’ singing are related with territorial defence and mating a partner. Another important effect on birds’ functioning near roads results in the masking of important biological signals due to noise. Masking important signals for territorial defence or partner selection can have as a consequence a negative influence on reproductive success. Species of birds which emit low frequency sounds are particularly exposed to this negative impact. As a results of traffic noise the changes in the volume and frequency of emitted sounds during singing are observed. Some authors pay attention to such factors as local climate or habitat and vegetation structure, because they have an important influence on the propagation of traffic noise. Most of the studies carried out previously concerns the breeding season, and only a few works to describe the impact of noise on birds during migration or wintering. The most frequently reported problem for researchers is to assess the densities of breeding birds near the roadside. The majority of species react with a drop in numbers at roadsides. There are species which are also known to appear with higher density at roadsides. Usually this is related with a richer plant vegetation structure at roadsides and the appearance of the so-called “edge effect”. Some results indicate that bird density at forest peripheries can reach values 40% higher than in the deep forest. An explanation of causes for such a state of matters are the higher numbers of invertebrates found at forest edges. The important factor influencing bird populations breeding at roadsides is also nest predation. Noise and visual disturbance can modifying predator pressure near roads.Szybki rozwój sieci drogowej oraz infrastruktury z nią związanej wywiera silną presję na środowisko oraz żywe organizmy, wykorzystujące siedliska zlokalizowane w pobliżu dróg. Negatywne skutki tego procesu polegają na utracie i fragmentacji siedlisk użytkowanych przez zwierzęta. Osobnym zagadnieniem jest wzrost zanieczyszczeń powietrza i gleby w sąsiedztwie szlaków komunikacyjnych. Ważnym problemem jest oddziaływanie hałasu na zwierzęta egzystujące w pobliżu dróg, w tym szczególnie na ptaki. Hałas generowany przez pojazdy zakłóca komunikację dźwiękową ptaków zwłaszcza w okresie formowania się par i wczesnej inkubacji jaj. Zasadnicze funkcje śpiewu ptaków to sygnalizacja rywalom własnego gatunku zajęcia terytorium oraz co najważniejsze przywabienie partnera. Hałaśliwe „tło” w sąsiedztwie drogi powoduje trudności w porozumiewaniu się osobników. Ogólnie zjawisko zakłócania komunikacji głosowej pomiędzy osobnikami przez hałas drogowy, wywołuje tzw. „maskowanie” ważnych sygnałów biologicznych. Najbardziej wrażliwe na wpływ hałasu drogowego okazują się gatunki wydające dźwięki o niskim paśmie częstotliwości ze względu na skuteczność ich maskowania przez hałas charakteryzujący się podobnym spektrum częstotliwości. W efekcie działania hałasu drogowego powstają zmiany w natężeniu a nawet częstotliwości śpiewu ptaków. Niektórzy autorzy zwracają również uwagę na modyfikujący wpływ czynników klimatycznych oraz struktury i typu siedliska w rozprzestrzenianiu się hałasu. Większość wykonanych dotychczas badań dotyczy okresu lęgowego, a tylko nieliczne prace zajmują się oddziaływaniem hałasu na ptaki w okresie migracji lub w okresie zimowania. Najczęściej podejmowanym zagadnieniem przez badaczy jest ocena zagęszczeń lęgowych ptaków przy drodze. W większości badań zaobserwowano spadek liczebności i bogactwa gatunkowego osobników w sąsiedztwie szlaków komunikacyjnych. Jednak niektóre gatunki ptaków, ze względu na tzw. „efekt krawędzi”, który modyfikuje zasobność bazy pokarmowej oraz mikroklimat, występują w większych zagęszczeniach właśnie przy drogach. Ważnym zagadnieniem jest również modyfikujący wpływ hałasu na drapieżnictwo przy drogach

Single-center experience of stent retriever thrombectomy in acute ischemic stroke

Background and purpose Recently, positive data from several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of endovascular therapy for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) has emerged. The aim of this retrospective study is to present our clinical experience in cerebral vessel occlusion treatment using retrievable intracranial stents. Methods Forty-three consecutive patients with ischemic stroke (median age 75, range 22–87) treated by stent retriever thrombectomy (Solitaire™ FR) between January 2013 and December 2015 were identified. We retrospectively assessed Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction (TICI) scale (2b–3 considered as successful recanalization), clinical outcome using modified Rankin scale (mRs) at 3 months (regarding score 0–2 as good clinical outcome), device-related complications and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH; parenchymal hematoma Type 1 or 2 and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale [NIHSS] score increment ≥4 points) rate. Results The mean NIHSS score on admission was 16.4 (median 16). The mean time from onset to groin puncture (time to treatment) was 290min (median 254min). Successful recanalization was achieved in 30 (69.8%) cases. The mean time from onset to successful reperfusion or procedure termination (time to reperfusion) was 394min (median 375min). Good outcome was observed in 17 (39.5%) patients and mortality was 27.9% (n=12). We found 2 (4,7%) sICHs, one (2,3%) thromboembolic event in different vascular territory and one (2,3%) groin hematoma. Conclusion Stent retriever thrombectomy for the treatment of ischemic stroke is safe, provides high rate of recanalization and good clinical outcomes in the setting of large vessel occlusion

The effect of climate change on avian offspring production: A global meta-analysis

Climate change affects timing of reproduction in many bird species, but few studies have investigated its influence on annual reproductive output. Here, we assess changes in the annual production of young by female breeders in 201 populations of 104 bird species (N = 745,962 clutches) covering all continents between 1970 and 2019. Overall, average offspring production has declined in recent decades, but considerable differences were found among species and populations. A total of 56.7% of populations showed a declining trend in offspring production (significant in 17.4%), whereas 43.3% exhibited an increase (significant in 10.4%). The results show that climatic changes affect offspring production through compounded effects on ecological and life history traits of species. Migratory and larger-bodied species experienced reduced offspring production with increasing temperatures during the chick-rearing period, whereas smaller-bodied, sedentary species tended to produce more offspring. Likewise, multi-brooded species showed increased breeding success with increasing temperatures, whereas rising temperatures were unrelated to repro- ductive success in single-brooded species. Our study suggests that rapid declines in size of bird populations reported by many studies from different parts of the world are driven only to a small degree by changes in the production of young

The influence of traffic noise on birds

The dynamic development of road infrastructure negatively influences the natural environment and animals using habitats near roads. The main negative effects of this process are primarily: loss and fragmentation of habitats. Another problem is an increase in pollutants and noise intensity in the vicinity of roads. An important problem is negative influence of traffic noise on animals and especially birds. Road noise generate by vehicles disturb vocal communication between birds, mainly in the time of pair formation and early incubation period. Difficulties in communication evoked by noise seem to be one of the main problems in functioning in noisy surroundings. The main functions of birds’ singing are related with territorial defence and mating a partner. Another important effect on birds’ functioning near roads results in the masking of important biological signals due to noise. Masking important signals for territorial defence or partner selection can have as a consequence a negative influence on reproductive success. Species of birds which emit low frequency sounds are particularly exposed to this negative impact. As a results of traffic noise the changes in the volume and frequency of emitted sounds during singing are observed. Some authors pay attention to such factors as local climate or habitat and vegetation structure, because they have an important influence on the propagation of traffic noise. Most of the studies carried out previously concerns the breeding season, and only a few works to describe the impact of noise on birds during migration or wintering. The most frequently reported problem for researchers is to assess the densities of breeding birds near the roadside. The majority of species react with a drop in numbers at roadsides. There are species which are also known to appear with higher density at roadsides. Usually this is related with a richer plant vegetation structure at roadsides and the appearance of the so-called “edge effect”. Some results indicate that bird density at forest peripheries can reach values 40% higher than in the deep forest. An explanation of causes for such a state of matters are the higher numbers of invertebrates found at forest edges. The important factor influencing bird populations breeding at roadsides is also nest predation. Noise and visual disturbance can modifying predator pressure near roads

Do railway lines affect the distribution of woodland birds during autumn?

Research results on the impact of railway noise on birds show a variety of bird responses. These behaviours are often different from those exhibited by birds occupying habitats along tarred roads. Knowledge of this subject is still incomplete. We attempted to define the influence of a heavily transited railway line on bird communities at stopover sites near the tracks during the autumn migration period. Birds were counted using the point method at 45 observation points located at three distances (30 m, 280 m, 530 m) from the tracks. At each point we determined the habitat parameters and the intensity of noise. A total of 614 individuals from 29 species were recorded on the study plot. The results of our observations indicate that the railway line does not adversely affect woodland birds during the autumn migration. The results showed that the abundance of birds and the species richness were actually the highest near the railway line. Species foraging on invertebrates preferred the neighbourhood of the tracks. The number of the most common species did not differ widely in relation to distance from the tracks. These data may be helpful in planning and managing the environment in the context of bird conservation, protection from railway noise and collisions with trains

Physicochemical Properties and Surface Characteristics of Ground Human Teeth

Enamel, dentin and cementum apatite has a complex composition. The lack of complete reports on the chemical composition of all tooth tissues together and the need to create a modern biomaterial that reproduces the correct ratio of individual tooth mineral components prompted the authors to undertake the research. A detailed evaluation of the micro- and macro-elements of tooth powder, using various methods of chemical analysis was conducted. All four groups of human sound teeth were crushed using the grinder. A fine powder was implemented for the FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy), ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectometry) and for the potentiometric titration, SEM and mercury porosimetry analyses. The obtained studies indicate that there is no significant correlation in chemical composition between the different teeth types. This proves that every removed, crushed tooth free of microorganisms can be a suitable material for alveolar augmentation. It is essential to know the chemical profiles of different elements in teeth to develop a new class of biomaterials for clinical applications

Prevalence of <i>Enterococcus</i> spp. and the Whole-Genome Characteristics of <i>Enterococcus faecium</i> and <i>Enterococcus faecalis</i> Strains Isolated from Free-Living Birds in Poland

Enterococci as opportunistic bacteria are important for human health. Due to the prevalence and ease of acquisition and transfer of their genes, they are an excellent indicator of environmental contamination and the spread of antimicrobial resistance. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of Enterococcus spp. in wild birds in Poland, determination of antimicrobial susceptibility and WGS analysis of Enterococcus (E.) faecium and E. faecalis. For this purpose, 138 samples from various species of free-living birds were tested, with 66.7% positive results. Fourteen species were detected, with E. faecalis being the most common, followed by E. casseliflavus and E. hirae. In antimicrobial susceptibility testing, 10.0% of E. faecalis and 50.0% of E. faecium showed resistance to one antimicrobial agent, in addition the MDR phenotype which was found in one E. faecium. The most common resistance phenotype included tetracycline and quinupristin/dalfopristin. The WGS analysis confirmed the significant advantage of the virulence gene diversity of E. faecalis strains over E. faecium. In addition, plasmid replicons were found in 42.0% of E. faecalis and 80.0% of E. faecium. The obtained results confirm free-living birds can be a reservoir of Enterococcus spp. with a considerable zoonotic potential