Foraging Behavior of Swainson\u27s Thrushes (Catharus ustulatus) During Spring Migration through Arkansas

Foraging behavior of Swainson’s Thrushes on spring migration was studied in western Arkansas in the spring of 2013 and 2014. Observations were made in two forested field sites, one of them urban and the other suburban. The former had a significantly higher woody stem area (cm2) than the latter. For each foraging observation, the following three parameters were noted: Foraging Stratum (Ground, Shrub, Sapling, Sub canopy, and Canopy); Foraging Substrate (Ground/Litter, Herb, Foliage, Bark, and Air); and Foraging Maneuver (Glean, Probe, Dive/Glean, Hover, Jump Hover, and Hawking). We tested the hypotheses that these foraging variables differed significantly between the urban and suburban sites, and between the two years. These hypotheses were rejected for all three parameters. The consolidated data from both the sites and years revealed that a significantly higher proportion (67%) of the observations were on the Ground stratum, compared to the Shrub (13.7%) and Sapling strata (13%). Similarly, a significantly higher proportion (66%) of the foraging substrate used was Ground/Litter, followed by Foliage (16.7%) and Bark (15.8%). Gleaning was the most common foraging maneuver used (71.5%), and was significantly higher than Probing (12.3%) and Dive Gleaning (8.4%)

Comparison of use of restrictive episiotomy versus routine episiotomy in primigravidae undergoing vaginal birth at a tertiary care hospital

Background: Episiotomy is the surgical enlargement of the vaginal orifice by an incision on the perineum during the last part of the second stage of labour or delivery. Episiotomy, incision of the perineum at the time of vaginal childbirth, is a common surgical procedure experienced by women. This study is done to compare use of restrictive episiotomy and routine episiotomy in primigravidae undergoing vaginal birth.Methods: This is a prospective cohort study designed to analyse the outcome of the restrictive use of episiotomy in comparison to routine use of episiotomy. Total 100 primigravidae women reporting to labour room in spontaneous labour/induction of labour were included and two cohorts were formed. Both the cohorts were evaluated during labour, immediate postpartum period and first postnatal day and data was tabulated and analysed.Results: Vaginal and paraurethral tears were noted in 14% primigravidae in the routine episiotomy group and 22.22% in the restrictive episiotomy group with no statistically significant association. Number of cases sustaining perineal tear in restrictive group was 15.55% and extension of episiotomy in the routine group was 26% with no statistically significant association. Requirement of suturing was far less in restrictive group (20%) as compared to routine group (100%), as 64.45% of the patients in restrictive group delivered with an intact perineum. The restrictive use of episiotomy does not prolong the second stage of labour and has requirement of significantly less pain relief compared to the routine group. Complication rate was higher in the routine group and perineal laceration and pain severity, was less in restrictive episiotomy group. However, neonatal complications were similar in the two groups.Conclusions: This study identified fair to good evidence suggesting that immediate outcomes following routine use of episiotomy are no better than those of restrictive use. Indeed, routine use is harmful to the degree that some proportion of women who would have had lesser injury instead had a surgical incision

Excess Enthalpies of Mixing of Binary Mixtures of NaCl, KCl, NaBr and KBr in Mixed Ternary Solvent Systems at 298.15 K

Excess enthalpies of mixing for six possible binary combinations of solutions of NaCl, KCl, NaBr and KBr in mixed ternary solvents composed of formamide, 1,4-dioxane and water have been determined using a flow microcalorimeter at constant ionic strengths of 0.500 and 1.000 mol kg–1 at 298.15 K. Unlike the case of water, the data do not supportYoung’s cross square rule. Pitzer’s virial coefficient theory has been utilized to obtain binary and ternary interaction parameters, i.e. θH and ψH. The data were also analysed in terms of the Friedman model and it was found that interactions between solvated ions are dictated not only by coulombic interactions but also by appreciable asymmetric effects.Keywords: Enthalpy of mixing, ternary solvents, Pitzer theory, Friedman model, cross square rule

Small Mammal Abundances in a Grassland and Forest Area at the Lake Fayetteville Environmental Center, Arkansas

We examined changes in abundance of small mammals in forest and prairie-grassland habitat at Lake Fayetteville, Arkansas over a period of 32 years. We estimated the population size of small mammals using a mark-recapture method by capturing small mammals employing rat-sized Sherman live traps laid out in a grid with 8 rows of traps, 15 traps per row, 9.14 m (30 feet) between traps and rows covering an area of 1.01 ha (2.5 acres) in size. Six species of mammals were trapped in the prairie-grassland and three species were captured in the forest habitat. In the forest, the white-footed deermouse (Peromuscus leucopus)was greatest in 1998 and in 2006. In the prairie-grassland, the population of hispid cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) were greatest in 2004, 2008, 2010 and 2014 and have increased over the years with the change in grass composition. The prairie-grassland in 1962 was mainly a broomsedge bluestem (Andropogon virginicus) field but as time progressed more and more prairie grasses invaded helped by controlled burns and removal of the invading eastern red cedars (Juniperus virginiana). The population of Sigmodon hispidus was weakly correlated with the minimum winter temperatures from the previous year

Rayleigh wave scattering at the foot of a mountain

A theoretical study of scattering of seismic waves at the foot of a mountain is discussed here. A mountain of an arbitrary shape and of width a (0≤x≤a, z=0) in the surface of an elastic solid medium (z≥0) is hit by a Rayleigh wave. The method of solution is the technique of Wiener and Hopf. The reflected, transmitted and scattered waves are obtained by inversion of Fourier transforms. The scattered waves behave as decaying cylindrical waves at distant points and have a large amplitude near the foot of the mountain. The transmitted wave decreases exponentially as its distance from the other end of the mountain increases

Imaging algorithm for COVID-19: A practical approach

© 2020 Elsevier Inc. The global pandemic of COVID-19 pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has strained healthcare resources across the world with emerging challenges of mass testing, resource allocation and management. While reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test is the most commonly utilized test and considered the current gold standard for diagnosis, the role of chest imaging has been highlighted by several studies demonstrating high sensitivity of computed tomography (CT). Many have suggested using CT chest as a first-line screening tool for the diagnosis of COVID-19. However, with advancement of laboratory testing and challenges in obtaining a CT scan without significant risk to healthcare providers, the role of imaging in diagnosis has been questioned. Several imaging societies have released consensus statements and guidelines on utilizing imaging resources and optimal reporting. In this review, we highlight the current evidence on various modalities in thoracic imaging for the diagnosis of COVID-19 and describe an algorithm on how to use these resources in an optimal fashion in accordance with the guidelines and statements released by major imaging societies

Monoamine oxidase-dependent endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondria dysfunction and mast cell degranulation lead to adverse cardiac remodeling in diabetes.

Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors ameliorate contractile function in diabetic animals, but the mechanisms remain unknown. Equally elusive is the interplay between the cardiomyocyte alterations induced by hyperglycemia and the accompanying inflammation. Here we show that exposure of primary cardiomyocytes to high glucose and pro-inflammatory stimuli leads to MAO-dependent increase in reactive oxygen species that causes permeability transition pore opening and mitochondrial dysfunction. These events occur upstream of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and are abolished by the MAO inhibitor pargyline, highlighting the role of these flavoenzymes in the ER/mitochondria cross-talk. In vivo, streptozotocin administration to mice induced oxidative changes and ER stress in the heart, events that were abolished by pargyline. Moreover, MAO inhibition prevented both mast cell degranulation and altered collagen deposition, thereby normalizing diastolic function. Taken together, these results elucidate the mechanisms underlying MAO-induced damage in diabetic cardiomyopathy and provide novel evidence for the role of MAOs in inflammation and inter-organelle communication. MAO inhibitors may be considered as a therapeutic option for diabetic complications as well as for other disorders in which mast cell degranulation is a dominant phenomenon

Bacteria-inducing legume nodules involved in the improvement of plant growth, health and nutrition

Bacteria-inducing legume nodules are known as rhizobia and belong to the class Alphaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria. They promote the growth and nutrition of their respective legume hosts through atmospheric nitrogen fixation which takes place in the nodules induced in their roots or stems. In addition, rhizobia have other plant growth-promoting mechanisms, mainly solubilization of phosphate and production of indoleacetic acid, ACC deaminase and siderophores. Some of these mechanisms have been reported for strains of rhizobia which are also able to promote the growth of several nonlegumes, such as cereals, oilseeds and vegetables. Less studied are the mechanisms that have the rhizobia to promote the plant health; however, these bacteria are able to exert biocontrol of some phytopathogens and to induce the plant resistance. In this chapter, we revised the available data about the ability of the legume nodule-inducing bacteria for improving the plant growth, health and nutrition of both legumes and nonlegumes. These data showed that rhizobia meet all the requirements of sustainable agriculture to be used as bio-inoculants allowing the total or partial replacement of chemicals used for fertilization or protection of crops

Practical guidelines for rigor and reproducibility in preclinical and clinical studies on cardioprotection

The potential for ischemic preconditioning to reduce infarct size was first recognized more than 30 years ago. Despite extension of the concept to ischemic postconditioning and remote ischemic conditioning and literally thousands of experimental studies in various species and models which identified a multitude of signaling steps, so far there is only a single and very recent study, which has unequivocally translated cardioprotection to improved clinical outcome as the primary endpoint in patients. Many potential reasons for this disappointing lack of clinical translation of cardioprotection have been proposed, including lack of rigor and reproducibility in preclinical studies, and poor design and conduct of clinical trials. There is, however, universal agreement that robust preclinical data are a mandatory prerequisite to initiate a meaningful clinical trial. In this context, it is disconcerting that the CAESAR consortium (Consortium for preclinicAl assESsment of cARdioprotective therapies) in a highly standardized multi-center approach of preclinical studies identified only ischemic preconditioning, but not nitrite or sildenafil, when given as adjunct to reperfusion, to reduce infarct size. However, ischemic preconditioning—due to its very nature—can only be used in elective interventions, and not in acute myocardial infarction. Therefore, better strategies to identify robust and reproducible strategies of cardioprotection, which can subsequently be tested in clinical trials must be developed. We refer to the recent guidelines for experimental models of myocardial ischemia and infarction, and aim to provide now practical guidelines to ensure rigor and reproducibility in preclinical and clinical studies on cardioprotection. In line with the above guideline, we define rigor as standardized state-of-the-art design, conduct and reporting of a study, which is then a prerequisite for reproducibility, i.e. replication of results by another laboratory when performing exactly the same experiment