Training fails to elicit behavioral change in a marsupial suffering evolutionary loss of antipredator behaviors

Abstract Attempts to reintroduce threatened species from ex situ populations (zoos or predator-free sanctuaries) regularly fail because of predation. When removed from their natural predators, animals may lose their ability to recognize predators and thus fail to adopt appropriate antipredator behaviors. Recently, northern quolls (Dasyurus hallucatus; Dasyuromorpha: Dasyuridae) conserved on a predator-free “island ark” for 13 generations were found to have no recognition of dingoes, a natural predator with which they had coevolved on mainland Australia for about 8,000 years. A subsequent reintroduction attempt using quolls acquired from this island ark failed due to predation by dingoes. In this study, we tested whether instrumental conditioning could be used to improve predator recognition in captive quolls sourced from a predator-free “island ark.” We used a previously successful scent-recognition assay (a giving-up density experiment) to compare predator-scent recognition of captive-born island animals before and after antipredator training. Our training was delivered by pairing live predators (dingo and domestic dog) with an electrified cage floor in repeat trials such that, when the predators were present, foraging animals would receive a shock. Our training methodology did not result in any discernible change in the ability of quolls to recognize and avoid dingo scent after training. We conclude either that our particular training method was ineffective (though ethically permissible); or that because these quolls appear unable to recognize natural predators, predator recognition may be extremely difficult to impart in a captive setting given ethical constraints. Our results point to the difficulty of reinstating lost behaviors, and to the value of maintaining antipredator behaviors in conservation populations before they are lost.

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Spouse Caregivers' Perceptions of Influence of Dementia on Marriage

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s104161020200827x ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 47-58 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

Ulla Eloniemi-Sulkava ◽

Irma-Leena Notkola ◽

Kaija Hämäläinen ◽

Terhi Rahkonen ◽

Petteri Viramo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Behavioral Change ◽

Intervention Study ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Behavioral Changes ◽

Telephone Interviews ◽

Before And After ◽

Spouse Caregivers ◽

Dementing Illness ◽

Male Patients ◽

Patients Experience

Objectives: To investigate what kind of changes spouse caregivers of demented patients experience after the onset of dementia (a) in the general atmosphere, happiness, and relations of marriage and (b) in the sexual side of marriage. Design: Semistructured telephone interviews of spouse caregivers of demented patients. Setting: Community-living demented patients and their spouse caregivers in eastern Finland. Participants: The spouse caregivers of 42 demented patients recruited from a previous intervention study. Measures: The questionnaire covered different areas of marriage from the time before and after the onset of dementia. Results: A statistically significant decline had occured in extent of happiness (p = .012), in equal relations (p = .001), and in patients' expressions of sexual needs (p < .001) when compared the time before and after dementia. Twenty-five (60%) of the caregivers reported that the demented patient had shown at least one negative sexual behavioral change during the course of dementia. Seven male patients (24%) had shown the behavioral symptom of constantly expressing need for making love. One in 10 caregivers had experienced positive sexual behavioral changes. In one third of the patients, the expressions of tenderness towards the caregiver had increased. Dementia did not affect significantly the general atmosphere of the marriage. Out of those still in home care, at 3 years from the onset of dementia, 19 couples (46%) continued to practice intercourse, at 5 years the number was 15 couples (41%), and at 7 years it had declined to 7 couples (28%). Conclusions: Dementing illness has a major negative impact on many dimensions of marriage. However, there are also positive changes and preserved aspects of marriage. Dementia seems to have a surprisingly little impact on whether the couple continues to have intercourse when compared with the general aging population.

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Application of the MSAP Technique to Evaluate Epigenetic Changes in Plant Conservation

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms21207459 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (20) ◽

pp. 7459

Author(s):

María Elena González-Benito ◽

Miguel Ángel Ibáñez ◽

Michela Pirredda ◽

Sara Mira ◽

Carmen Martín

Keyword(s):

Dna Methylation ◽

In Situ Conservation ◽

Plant Conservation ◽

Ex Situ ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

Regenerated Plants ◽

Before And After ◽

Methylation Patterns

Epigenetic variation, and particularly DNA methylation, is involved in plasticity and responses to changes in the environment. Conservation biology studies have focused on the measurement of this variation to establish demographic parameters, diversity levels and population structure to design the appropriate conservation strategies. However, in ex situ conservation approaches, the main objective is to guarantee the characteristics of the conserved material (phenotype and epi-genetic). We review the use of the Methylation Sensitive Amplified Polymorphism (MSAP) technique to detect changes in the DNA methylation patterns of plant material conserved by the main ex situ plant conservation methods: seed banks, in vitro slow growth and cryopreservation. Comparison of DNA methylation patterns before and after conservation is a useful tool to check the fidelity of the regenerated plants, and, at the same time, may be related with other genetic variations that might appear during the conservation process (i.e., somaclonal variation). Analyses of MSAP profiles can be useful in the management of ex situ plant conservation but differs in the approach used in the in situ conservation. Likewise, an easy-to-use methodology is necessary for a rapid interpretation of data, in order to be readily implemented by conservation managers.

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Atomic Hydrogen Effects on the Optical and Electrical Properties of Transparent Conducting Oxides For a-Si:H TFT-LCDs

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/proc-424-347 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 424 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Je-Hsiung Lan ◽

Jerzy Kanicki

Keyword(s):

Indium Tin Oxide ◽

Photoelectron Spectroscopy ◽

Atomic Hydrogen ◽

Chemical Vapor ◽

Optical Transmittance ◽

Ex Situ ◽

Hydrogen Treatment ◽

X Ray ◽

Conducting Oxides ◽

Before And After

AbstractThe effects of the atomic hydrogen treatment (H-treatment) of indium-tin oxide (ITO) and aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) films have been investigated. The atomic hydrogen was generated by hot-wire chemical vapor deposition (HW-CVD) technique. Experimental results have shown that AZO films are chemically very stable under the H-treatment; almost no variation in the optical transmittance and electrical resistivity was observed. On the contrary, ITO films, either prepared by sputtering with ex-situ or in-situ thermal-annealing, have shown severe optical and electrical degradation and surface whitening after the H-treatment. SEM studies of the H-treated ITO surfaces have revealed that the surface whitening was due to the increase in surface roughness and the formation of granule-like metallic balls. Auger electron spectroscopy has indicated that the balls were mainly composed of indium atoms and the areas between balls were rich in oxygen atoms. These results were confirmed by X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements done on ITO before and after the H-treatment. Finally, we have demonstrated that a-SiO, deposited by PECVD will completely suppress the chemical reaction between ITO surfaces and atomic hydrogen generated by HW-CVD technique.

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In-Situ Observation Of Aln Formation During Nitridation Of Sapphire By Ultrahigh Vacuum Transmission Electron Microscopy

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/proc-482-99 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 482 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

M. Yeadon ◽

M. T. Marshall ◽

F. Hamdani ◽

S. Pekin ◽

H. Morkoc ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ultrahigh Vacuum ◽

Ex Situ ◽

In Situ Observation ◽

Island Growth ◽

Kinetic Measurements ◽

Transmission Electron ◽

Before And After ◽

Subsequent Exposure ◽

Diffraction Patterns

AbstractUsing a novel ultrahigh vacuum transmission electron microscope (UHV TEM) with insitu molecular beam epitaxy capability we have studied the nitridation of (0001) sapphire upon exposure to ammonia. Atomically flat sapphire surfaces for the experiments were obtained by high temperature annealing. Subsequent exposure to ammonia flow at 950°C led to the successful synthesis of epitaxial AIN; the films were characterized in-situ using TEM. Complimentary ex-situ atomic force microscopy (AFM) was also performed in order to characterize the surface morphology before and after nitridation.The experiments indicate that AIN grows by a 3D island growth mechanism. Electron diffraction patterns suggest an abrupt AIN/sapphire interface with no evidence of the formation of Al–O–N compounds. The rate limiting step in the nitridation reaction appears to be the diffusion of nitrogen and oxygen species between the free surface of the growing AIN film and the reaction interface. It is inferred from kinetic measurements that diffusion of these species occurs along the boundaries between coalescing AIN islands.

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Interface Orientation Distribution during Grain Growth in Bulk SrTiO3 Measured by Means of 3D X-Ray Diffraction Contrast Tomography

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/opl.2012.831 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 1421 ◽

Author(s):

Melanie Syha ◽

Wolfgang Rheinheimer ◽

Michael Bäurer ◽

Erik M. Lauridsen ◽

Wolfgang Ludwig ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Grain Growth ◽

Morphological Changes ◽

Orientation Distribution ◽

Ex Situ ◽

X Ray Diffraction ◽

Systematic Analysis ◽

X Ray ◽

Diffraction Contrast ◽

Before And After ◽

Interface Orientation

ABSTRACT3D x-ray diffraction contrast tomography (DCT) is a non-destructive technique for the determination of grain shape and crystallography in polycrystalline bulk materials. Using this technique, a strontium titanate specimen was repeatedly measured between annealing steps.. A systematic analysis of the growth history of selected grains before and after the ex-situ annealing step allows to extract the topological and morphological changes during grain growth. Furthermore, misorientation as well as interface orientation information of the microstructure reconstructions have been determined. The interface normal distribution clearly shows a preference for (100) oriented interfaces in the selected grains when annealed at 1600°C. This observation can be connected to existent interfacial energy estimations resulting from capillarity vector reconstructions.

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Interpersonal Behavior Constructs: A Revised Approach to Defining Dyadic Interaction Styles

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/pr0.1975.36.3.835 ◽

1975 ◽

Vol 36 (3) ◽

pp. 835-846 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Kate L. Kogan ◽

Betty N. Gordon

Keyword(s):

Therapeutic Intervention ◽

Behavioral Change ◽

Clinical Utility ◽

Interpersonal Behavior ◽

Dyadic Interaction ◽

Interaction Styles ◽

New Approaches ◽

New Instrument ◽

Before And After ◽

Research Studies

Methods for analyzing mother-child interactions which have been used in clinical and research studies over a 10-yr. period have been revised in the interests of greater economy and more precise clinical utility. This paper reports data to document the comparability of the old and new approaches, the reliability of the method when used by several observers, and the usefulness of the new instrument in delineating behavioral change before and after therapeutic intervention.

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Vigilance Response of a Key Prey Species to Anthropogenic and Natural Threats in Detroit

Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution ◽

10.3389/fevo.2021.570734 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Samantha L. Lima ◽

Siria Gámez ◽

Nathaniel Arringdale ◽

Nyeema C. Harris

Keyword(s):

Human Activity ◽

Prey Species ◽

Urban Environments ◽

Domestic Dog ◽

Sylvilagus Floridanus ◽

Rapid Urbanization ◽

Cottontail Rabbit ◽

Natural Predator ◽

Urban Greenspaces ◽

Anthropogenic Threats

Rapid urbanization coupled with increased human activity induces pressures that affect predator-prey relations through a suite of behavioral mechanisms, including alteration of avoidance and coexistence dynamics. Synergisms of natural and anthropogenic threats existing within urban environments exacerbate the necessity for species to differentially modify behavior to each risk. Here, we explore the behavioral response of a key prey species, cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus), to pressures from humans, domestic dogs, and a natural predator, coyotes (Canis latrans) in a human-dominated landscape. We conducted the first camera survey in urban parks throughout Detroit, Michigan in 2017–2020 to assess vigilance response corresponding to a heterogeneous landscape created from variation in the occupancy of threats. We predicted a scaled response where cottontail rabbits would be most vigilant in areas with high coyote activity, moderately vigilant in areas with high domestic dog activity, and the least vigilant in areas of high human activity. From 8,165 independent cottontail rabbit detections in Detroit across 11,616 trap nights, one-third were classified as vigilant. We found vigilance behavior increased with coyote occupancy and in locations with significantly high domestic dog activity, but found no significant impact of human occupancy or their spatial hotspots. We also found little spatial overlap between rabbits and threats, suggesting rabbits invest more in spatial avoidance; thus, less effort is required for vigilance. Our results elucidate strategies of a prey species coping with various risks to advance our understanding of the adaptability of wildlife in urban environments. In order to promote coexistence between people and wildlife in urban greenspaces, we must understand and anticipate the ecological implications of human-induced behavioral modifications.

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Gas permeability, wettability and morphology of gas diffusion layers before and after performing a realistic ex-situ compression test

Renewable Energy ◽

10.1016/j.renene.2019.11.109 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 151 ◽

pp. 1082-1091 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

F. Aldakheel ◽

M.S. Ismail ◽

K.J. Hughes ◽

D.B. Ingham ◽

L. Ma ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Compression Test ◽

Gas Permeability ◽

Gas Diffusion ◽

Ex Situ ◽

Gas Diffusion Layers ◽

Diffusion Layers ◽

Before And After

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Templateless Synthesis and Characterization of Hollow Gadolinium Doped Cerium Oxide Nanofibers by Electrospinning

Advances in Materials Science and Engineering ◽

10.1155/2014/127531 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2014 ◽

pp. 1-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Chutima Thiabdokmai ◽

Apishok Tangtrakarn ◽

Shatchai Promsuy ◽

Pilan Ngiewlay ◽

Charusporn Mongkolkachit

Keyword(s):

Raman Spectroscopy ◽

Host Lattice ◽

Ex Situ ◽

Morphological Properties ◽

Synthesis And Characterization ◽

Hollow Nanofibers ◽

Decomposition Stage ◽

Before And After ◽

Cold Pressed

The hollow nanofibers of Ce0.8Gd0.2O2−δ(GDC20) were electrospun from the PVP and nitrate precursors. The evolution of hollow channel was investigated by TG-DTA and ex situ TEM for the fibers heated at 250–300°C for 1–5 h. The hollow cores were revealed during the crystallization of nano-GDC20 and the PVP decomposition stage. The structural and morphological properties of GDC20 fibers before and after being calcined at 500–900°C for 8 h were investigated by FTIR, FE-SEM, TEM, EDS, XRD, and Raman spectroscopy. The results from XRD and Raman scattering verify the successful doping of Gd3+ions into the CeO2host lattice. The conductivity of the cold-pressed GDC 20 pellet sintered at 1400°C is more than 0.01 S/cm at and above 600°C.

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Rheological Measurement of In Situ Preheating Polycarbosilane Melt

Key Engineering Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/kem.726.90 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 726 ◽

pp. 90-94 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Liu Ying Huang ◽

Zi Qing Zhu ◽

Xuan Cheng ◽

Ying Zhang

Keyword(s):

Ex Situ ◽

Heating Process ◽

Rheological Measurement ◽

Rheological Measurements ◽

Molecular Weight Distributions ◽

Weight Distributions ◽

Before And After ◽

Expansion System ◽

Properties Of Materials

Rotational rheometer has been widely used in studying rheological properties of materials. However, the conventional rheological measurements may not be applicable for some non-traditional materials with characteristic properties. Polycarbosilane (PCS) is an oligomer and in the form of solid state at room temperature. A large amount of air bubbles are evolved during the heating process of PCS, which is extremely harmful for rheological measurements of PCS melt and detrimentally influences the accuracy of rheological data. In this work, a series of PCS raw samples were pretreated with different heating processes by the advanced rheometric expansion system at 315°C before the rheological measurements at 295°C. The softening point temperatures and molecular weight distributions of different PCS samples were obtained before and after the preheating processes. The experimental data collected with the in-situ preheating and ex-situ preheating for 1 h were compared.

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