scholarly journals COMPARATIVE STUDY OF YELLOW-BILLED BABBLER (TURDOIDES AFFINIS) FEATHERS REVEALS UNIFORMITY IN THEIR MICROSTRUCTURES AMONG INDIVIDUALS

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-64
Author(s):  
Swapna Devi Ray ◽  
◽  
Prateek Dey ◽  
Nozrul Islam ◽  
Sanjeev Kumar Sharma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bird Species ◽  
Molecular Sexing ◽  
Forensic Biomechanics ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Microstructure Parameters ◽  
Feather Microstructure ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
Micro Structures ◽  
Species Being ◽  
Identification Tool

Though a few in numbers, investigations on feather microstructures from the early 20th century till date, have contributed immensely to various fields such as phylogeny, palaeontology, archaeology, wildlife forensic, biomechanics and so on. However, existing studies on feather micro-structures of birds endemic to the India/Indian sub-continent are few in number and limited in their scope. Also, no study has ever been conducted to compare feather microstructures of different individuals of a species from India. To address this issue, a comparative feather microstructure study of three individuals of Turdoides affinis, a passerine endemic to the Indian sub-continent was done. Select microstructure parameters for five different types of feathers were studied in detail. The molecular sexing method was used to elucidate the sex of T. affinis individuals for gender based differences if any. Results of the study identified that two of T. affinis individuals were female whereas one of them was male. Morphometrically, tail contour was the longest (9.63±0.76 cm) and bristle were the shortest (1.00±0.07 cm) feather. Semiplume had the longest barb length (1.73±0.04 cm) and shortest barbs (0.16±0.01 cm) were present in bristles. Subpennaceous barbs and knob-shaped villi, characteristic of members of the Passeriformes family, was also observed in all three individuals. This study records no significant difference in feather characteristics amongst the three T. affinis individuals irrespective of the differences in their sex and size. Systematically documented feather micro-characteristics of T. affinis in this study could be used as a species identification tool and would provide baseline data for the feather catalogue of Indian bird species being compiled at SACON.

scholarly journals Escherichia coli as uropathogen: antibiotic susceptibility profiling

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 433
Author(s):  
Anuja Jha ◽  
Manju Agrawal ◽  
Arvind Neral ◽  
Rajesh Hishikar ◽  
Basant Maheshwari
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Therapy ◽  
Resistance Pattern ◽  
P Value ◽  
Age And Gender ◽  
Exact Test ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Tract Infections ◽  
Uncomplicated Cystitis

Background: Empirically chosen antibiotics based on the local resistance pattern of uropathogens remain the principle treatment of urinary tract infections (UTI).Methods: Antibiogram of most frequent uropathogen was determined. Based on the antibiogram result, authors compared effectiveness of drugs recommended for UTI by National centre for disease control (NCDC), India, and assessed age and gender based variability in the effectiveness of these drugs.Results: 1278 urine samples were accounted, of which 405 samples showed significant growth. E. coli was the most common uropathogen (n=146, 36%) followed by enterococcus species (31%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (10%). Using McNemar’s test authors found that nitrofurantoin (90% sensitivity) was statistically the most effective drug among drugs recommended by NCDC for uncomplicated cystitis. Furthermore, authors used Fisher’s exact test on adults and paediatrics and found that significant difference in effectiveness was observed for nitrofurantoin (p-value <0.001) and cotrimoxazole (p-value 0.034). Using logistic regression, authors found that with age, effectiveness of ciprofloxacin and cotrimoxazole deteriorate significantly (p-value 0.021 and 0.002 respectively). Additionally, authors observed that cotrimoxazole has significantly better efficacy in males compared to females (p-value 0.022).Conclusions: In accordance with present study, nitrofurantoin can be used as first line treatment for uncomplicated cystitis. Age and gender should be considered while prescribing empirical treatment for UTI. Periodic surveillance should be carried out to identify the on-going pattern of antibiogram to update the guideline for empirical therapy.

scholarly journals Current Land Bird Distribution and Trends in Population Abundance Between 1982 and 2012 on Rota, Mariana Islands

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 511-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard J. Camp ◽  
Kevin W. Brinck ◽  
P. Marcos Gorresen ◽  
Fred A. Amidon ◽  
Paul M. Radley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Cover ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Ratio Estimator ◽  
Occupancy Models ◽  
Tree Sparrow ◽  
Range Restriction ◽  
Widespread Distribution ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Eurasian Tree Sparrow ◽  
Bird Distribution

Abstract The western Pacific island of Rota is the fourth largest human-inhabited island in the Mariana archipelago and designated an Endemic Bird Area. Between 1982 and 2012, 12 point-transect distance-sampling surveys were conducted to assess bird population status. Surveys did not consistently sample the entire island; thus, we used a ratio estimator to estimate bird abundances in strata not sampled during every survey. Trends in population size were reliably estimated for 11 of 13 bird species, and 7 species declined over the 30-y time series, including the island collared-dove Streptopelia bitorquata, white-throated ground-dove Gallicolumba xanthonura, Mariana fruit-dove Ptilinopus roseicapilla, collared kingfisher Todiramphus chloris orii, Micronesian myzomela Myzomela rubratra, black drongo Dicrurus macrocercus, and Mariana crow Corvus kubaryi. The endangered Mariana crow (x̄  =  81 birds, 95% CI 30–202) declined sharply to fewer than 200 individuals in 2012, down from 1,491 birds in 1982 (95% CI  =  815–3,115). Trends increased for white tern Gygis alba, rufous fantail Rhipidura rufifrons mariae, and Micronesian starling Aplonis opaca. Numbers of the endangered Rota white-eye Zosterops rotensis declined from 1982 to the late 1990s but returned to 1980s levels by 2012, resulting in an overall stable trend. Trends for the yellow bittern Ixobrychus sinensis were inconclusive. Eurasian tree sparrow Passer montanus trends were not assessed; however, their numbers in 1982 and 2012 were similar. Occupancy models of the 2012 survey data revealed general patterns of land cover use and detectability among 12 species that could be reliably modeled. Occupancy was not assessed for the Eurasian tree sparrow because of insufficient detections. Based on the 2012 survey, bird distribution and abundance across Rota revealed three general patterns: 1) range restriction, including Mariana crow, Rota white-eye, and Eurasian tree sparrow; 2) widespread distribution, low abundance, including collared kingfisher, island collared-dove, white-throated ground-dove, Mariana fruit-dove, white tern, yellow bittern, black drongo, and Micronesian myzomela; and 3) widespread distribution, high abundance, including rufous fantail and Micronesian starling. The Mariana crow was dispersed around the periphery of the island in steep forested land-cover types. In contrast, the Rota white-eye was restricted to the high-elevation mesa. Only for the white-throated ground-dove was there a significant difference among cover types, with lower occupancy in open field than in forested areas. Vegetation was included in the best-fit occupancy models for yellow bittern, black drongo, Micronesian myzomela, and Micronesian starling, but vegetation type was not a significant variable nor included in the top models for the remaining five species: white tern, island collared-dove, Mariana fruit-dove, collared kingfisher, and rufous fantail. Given declining population trends, the Rota bird-monitoring program could benefit from establishing threshold and alert limits and identifying alternative research and management actions. Continued monitoring and demographic sampling, in conjunction with ecological studies, are needed to understand why most bird species on Rota are declining, identify the causative agents, and assess effectiveness of conservation actions, especially for the Mariana crow.

scholarly journals Abundance, diversity and daily activity of terrestrial mammal and bird species in disturbed and undisturbed limestone habitats using camera trapping, Central Thailand

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
MANANYA PLA-ARD ◽  
WIPAVEE HOONHEANG ◽  
BUNYATHIPORN KAEWDEE ◽  
TARAPON PANGANTA ◽  
KHWANRUTAI CHARASPET ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Daily Activity ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Wild Birds ◽  
Camera Trapping ◽  
Mountainous Area ◽  
Mining Activities ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Terrestrial Mammal ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Central Thailand

Abstract: Pla-ard M, Hoonheang W, Kaewdee B, Panganta T, Charaspet K, Khoiesri N, Paansri P, Kanka P, Chanachai Y, Thongbanthum J, Bangthong P, Sukmasuang R. 2021. Abundance, diversity and daily activity of terrestrial mammal and bird species in disturbed and undisturbed limestone habitats using camera trapping, Central Thailand. Biodiversitas 22: 3620-3631.  This study on the abundance, diversity and daily activity of terrestrial mammal and bird species was conducted in the limestone mountainous area of Central Thailand, located on the east of Dong Phaya Yen-Khao Yai forest complex. Camera traps were placed in both habitats disturbed by limestone mining and undisturbed habitat areas. From the study, a total of 38 species of mammals and birds from 27 families in 13 orders were recorded, including 15 species of mammals from 6 orders, 12 families and 23 species of birds from 14 families in 7 orders. Fifteen species of mammals were recorded in the undisturbed area and 11 were recorded in the disturbed area, with the Malayan Pangolin, Small Indian Civet and Grey-bellied Squirrel found in the undisturbed area. However, the number of bird species in the limestone mining area was larger than in the undisturbed area. It was also found that there was no difference in the overall abundance and diversity of mammalian species between disturbed and undisturbed areas, which is not in accordance with the hypothesis. But in the case of wild birds, the relative abundance of wild birds was found to differ significantly between areas. A high number was found in the areas with mining activities, although there was no difference in the diversity index of the two areas. However, it was found that when the combined data was analyzed, there was a significant difference in the daily activity of both mammals and wild birds in both areas. Many rare wildlife species were recorded during this study, for example, the Malayan Pangolin, Serow, Northern Pig-tailed Macaque, Rufous Limestone-babbler, Golden Jackal, Leopard Cat, Large-toothed Ferret Badger, Small Asian Mongoose, Common Palm Civet, Small Indian Civet, Malayan Porcupine. The key measure proposed is to preserve some natural habitats within the areas with mining activities, as wildlife remains in the area.

scholarly journals Teachers' Error Treatment Practices and Perceptions in Teaching English to Adult EFL Learners in Saudi Arabia: A Gender-Based Qualitative Study

2020 ◽  
Vol V (I) ◽  
pp. 290-299
Author(s):  
Muhammad Sabboor Hussain ◽  
Khaled B. Albesher ◽  
Aisha Farid
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
English Language ◽  
Teaching English ◽  
Treatment Practices ◽  
Female Teachers ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Error Treatment ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
Esl Learners

This paper explores error treatment practices in teaching English to Saudi adult English Language learners. In this genderbased qualitative study, thirty-six male and twenty-four female teachers were interviewed, using Hendrickson's (1978) theoretical framework to analyze learners' error treatment practices by EFL teachers. No significant difference in the male and female teachers was found in their perception of the students' errors, reasons and ways to correct students' errors and their perceptions of the backwash effect of the error correction. However, female teachers find a lack of student motivation as a major cause of errors. The study has also explored some unreflective and unprofessional error treatment practices that urge the need for regular training for the teachers to make them aware of the psychological dimensions of error treatment practices. The study recommends the transformation of the traditional style of teaching into coaching to give professional, reflective, and effective treatment to adult EFL/ESL learners' errors.

scholarly journals Bioacoustic monitoring of New Zealand avifauna before and after aerial 1080 operations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Roald Egbert Harro Bomans
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Conservation Practice ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Mammalian Predators ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Scale Population ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Native Birds

<p>Introduced mammalian predators, namely possums, stoats and rats, are the leading cause of decline in native avifauna in New Zealand. The control of these species is essential to the persistence of native birds. A major component of mammal control in New Zealand is carried out through the aerial distribution of the toxin sodium monofluoroacetate (otherwise known as 1080). The use of this toxin, however, is subject to significant public debate. Many opponents of its use claim that forests will ‘fall silent’ following aerial operations, and that this is evidence of negative impacts on native bird communities. With the continued and likely increased use of this poison, monitoring the outcomes of such pest control operations is necessary to both address these concerns and inform conservation practice. The recent growth in autonomous recording units (ARUs) provides novel opportunities to conduct monitoring using bioacoustics. This thesis used bioacoustic techniques to monitor native bird species over three independent aerial 1080 operations in the Aorangi and Rimutaka Ranges of New Zealand.  In Chapter 2, diurnal bird species were monitored for 10-12 weeks over two independent operations in treatment and non-treatment areas. At the community level, relative to non-treatment areas, the amount of birdsong recorded did not decrease significantly in treatment areas across either of the operations monitored. At the species level, one species, the introduced chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs), showed a significant decline in the prevalence of its calls in the treatment areas relative to non-treatment areas. This was observed over one of the two operations monitored. Collectively, these results suggest that diurnal native avifaunal communities do not ‘fall silent’ following aerial 1080 operations.  The quantity of data produced by ARUs can demand labour-intensive manual analysis. Extracting data from recordings using automated detectors is a potential solution to this issue. The creation of such detectors, however, can be subjective, iterative, and time-consuming. In Chapter 3, a process for developing a parsimonious, template-based detector in an efficient, objective manner was developed. Applied to the creation of a detector for morepork (Ninox novaeseelandiae) calls, the method was highly successful as a directed means to achieve parsimony. An initial pool of 187 potential templates was reduced to 42 candidate templates. These were further refined to a 10-template detector capable of making 98.89% of the detections possible with all 42 templates in approximately a quarter of the processing time for the dataset tested. The detector developed had a high precision (0.939) and moderate sensitivity (0.399) with novel recordings, developed for the minimisation of false-positive errors in unsupervised monitoring of broad-scale population trends.  In Chapter 4, this detector was applied to the short-term 10-12 week monitoring of morepork in treatment and non-treatment areas around three independent aerial 1080 operations; and to longer-term four year monitoring in two study areas, one receiving no 1080 treatment, and one receiving two 1080 treatments throughout monitoring. Morepork showed no significant difference in trends of calling prevalence across the three independent operations monitored. Longer-term, a significant quadratic effect of time since 1080 treatment was found, with calling prevalences predicted to increase for 3.5 years following treatment. Collectively, these results suggest a positive effect of aerial 1080 treatment on morepork populations in the lower North Island, and build on the small amount of existing literature regarding the short- and long-term response of this species to aerial 1080 operations.</p>

Bird assemblages in wildlife habitat strips in a Tasmanian plantation matrix

2002 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A. MacDonald ◽  
Robert J. Taylor ◽  
Steven G. Candy
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Wildlife Habitat ◽  
Native Forest ◽  
Total Abundance ◽  
Forest Patches ◽  
Bird Species Richness ◽  
Linear Forest ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Production Forests

In Tasmania, a system of 100 m wide strips of native forest, referred to as wildlife habitat strips, is retained within production forest, including plantations. Thirty-nine points in 18 wildlife habitat strips within both eucalypt and pine plantations (which were not differentiated for the purposes of the present study) were paired with points in nearby extensive native forest and surveyed for birds. At non-riparian sites (upper slopes and ridges), bird species richness and total abundance were both significantly lower in habitat strips than in controls. This difference is quantitative rather than qualitative, as ordination did not distinguish strip sites and controls, and no species were obviously absent from habitat strips. Riparian zones showed no significant difference in species richness and total abundance between habitat strips and controls. Species richness and total abundance relative to controls increased as wildlife habitat strip length increased over the measured range (0.4-2.1 km). It is thought that this may be because birds perceive strips as linear forest patches rather than corridors, so that there may be a habitat area effect. Other strip characteristics such as width and plantation age were not significant in riparian areas, but may be important on upper slopes and ridges, and the former will affect strip area. Wildlife habitat strips appear to be a valuable component of a conservation programme for birds in production forests in Tasmania.

scholarly journals The Relationships between Morphological Characteristics and Foraging Behavior in Four Selected Species of Shorebirds and Water Birds Utilizing Tropical Mudflats

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nor Atiqah Norazlimi ◽  
Rosli Ramli
Keyword(s):  
Foraging Behavior ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Rank Correlation ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
Peninsular Malaysia ◽  
Leg Length ◽  
Probing Depth ◽  
Video Recorder ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Water Birds

A study was conducted to investigate the relationship between the physical morphology of shorebirds and water birds (i.e., Lesser adjutant (Leptoptilos javanicus), Common redshank (Tringa totanus), Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus), and Little heron (Butorides striata)) and their foraging behavior in the mudflats area of Selangor, Peninsular Malaysia, from August 2013 to July 2014 by using direct observation techniques (using binoculars and a video recorder). The actively foraging bird species were watched, and their foraging activities were recorded for at least 30 seconds for up to a maximum of five minutes. A Spearman Rank Correlation highlighted a significant relationship between bill size and foraging time (R=0.443,p<0.05), bill size and prey size (R=-0.052,p<0.05), bill size and probing depth (R=0.42,p=0.003), and leg length and water/mud depth (R=0.706,p<0.005). A Kruskal-Wallis Analysis showed a significant difference between average estimates of real probing depth of the birds (mm) and species (H=15.96,p=0.0012). Three foraging techniques were recorded: pause-travel, visual-feeding, and tactile-hunting. Thus, morphological characteristics of bird do influence their foraging behavior and strategies used when foraging.

scholarly journals Gizzard vs. teeth, it's a tie: food-processing efficiency in herbivorous birds and mammals and implications for dinosaur feeding strategies

Paleobiology ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 577-586 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Fritz ◽  
Jürgen Hummel ◽  
Ellen Kienzle ◽  
Oliver Wings ◽  
W. Jürgen Streich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Particle Size ◽  
Food Processing ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Size Reduction ◽  
Feeding Strategies ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Particle Size Reduction ◽  
Processing Efficiency ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Significant Difference

Particle size reduction is a primary means of improving efficiency in herbivores. The mode of food particle size reduction is one of the main differences between herbivorous birds (gizzard) and mammals (teeth). For a quantitative comparison of the efficiency of food comminution, we investigated mean fecal particle sizes (MPS) in 14 herbivorous bird species and compared these with a data set of 111 non-ruminant herbivorous mammal species. In general MPS increased with body mass, but there was no significant difference between birds and mammals, suggesting a comparable efficiency of food processing by gizzards and chewing teeth. The results lead to the intriguing question of why gizzard systems have evolved comparatively rarely among amniote herbivores. Advantages linked to one of the two food comminution systems must, however, be sought in different effects other than size reduction itself. In paleoecological scenarios, the evolution of “dental batteries,” for example in ornithopod dinosaurs, should be considered an advantage compared to absence of mastication, but not compared to gizzard-based herbivory.

The impact of other customers and gender on consumer complaint behaviour in the Ecuadorian restaurant setting

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-29
Author(s):  
Alei (Aileen) Fan ◽  
Hubert B. Van Hoof ◽  
Sandra Pesantez Loyola ◽  
Sebastián Calle Lituma ◽  
Marlene Jaramillo Granda
Keyword(s):  
Impression Management ◽  
Public Image ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
Service Failures ◽  
Customer Complaint ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Concern For Others ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Customer complaint behaviour, in response to service failures, has been shown to vary based on numerous factors, such as the nature of the service encounter, the setting, culture, gender and the presence of others. The gender-based study reported in this paper demonstrates the impact of two of these factors, i.e. the presence of others and gender, on the intent of Ecuadorian customers to voice their complaints about service failures in a restaurant setting. Employing a theoretical framework of impression management and cultural orientation, and with specific reference to Hofstede’s work on cultural differences, this study found that Ecuadorian customers were less likely to complain in the presence of other customers than when they were alone. Impression management and concern for others were shown to be more significant among women than men. Women were found to be more motivated to manage their public image and create positive impressions in other people’s minds, leading to less intent to complain in the presence of other customers than when they were alone. Male customers, on the other hand, exhibited less concern for others and did not show any significant difference in their complaint intentions, whether they were alone or in the presence of others.

scholarly journals A Cohort of Gender-Based Outcomes in Hepatitis B and C after Cardiac Surgery

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Cardiac Surgery ◽  
Cardiopulmonary Bypass ◽  
Hepatitis B ◽  
Categorical Variables ◽  
Continuous Variables ◽  
Cardiopulmonary Bypass Time ◽  
Predictors Of Mortality ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
And Gender

Objective: Our research article aimed to determine if six-month mortality amongst hepatitis B and C patients undergoing cardiac surgery varied according to gender, post-operatively. Secondarily, we highlighted the significant differences among the two genders in their pre-operative, operative, and post-operative characteristics and deduced significant predictors of mortality. Methods: We obtained approval from the International Review Board of the Dow University of Health Sciences, and conducted a retrospective study targeting hepatitis B and C patients who had undergone cardiac surgery between January 2013 to October 2018 at the Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. The data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (Version 20.0). The population was divided into two groups, based on gender. Chi-squared test was used to compare categorical variables and odd ratios with 95% confidence interval were also computed. Differences in continuous variables were assessed using independent T-test or Mann-Whitney U test. Results: There was no significant difference in six-month mortality between the genders, with a 22.5% mortality in males and 20.0% mortality in females. Post-operatively, males had higher creatinine (p=0.003) levels but females tended to have a longer ward stay (p=0.032). On multivariate logistic regression, duration of intubation (aOR=1.131, 95% CI: 1.002-1.275), cardiopulmonary bypass time (aOR=1.030, 95% CI: 1.002-1.059) and duration of ward stay (aOR=1.100, 95% CI: 1.031-1.175) were found to be significant predictors of mortality. Conclusion: There is no association between six-month mortality and gender among hepatitis B and C patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Additionally, duration of intubation, cardiopulmonary bypass time and duration of ward stay are significant predictors of six-month mortality.

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