scholarly journals 'Bearly' Changing with the Seasons: Bears of Five Species Show Few Behavioral Changes Across Seasons and at Varying Visitor Densities

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 538-557
Author(s):  
Laura M. Bernstein-Kurtycz ◽  
Diana C. Koester ◽  
Rebecca J. Snyder ◽  
Jennifer Vonk ◽  
Mark A. Willis ◽  
...  

In natural environments, bear behavior follows seasonal patterns but the zoo environment differs from the natural environment in several ways, including the presence of zoo visitors. Although typically difficult to disentangle, we were able to tease apart the effects of seasonal changes and visitor density on the visibility and behavior of 10 bears representing five species housed at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo due to the disruption caused by COVID-19. We conducted a longitudinal bear behavior monitoring project from June, 2017-November, 2020. Bears were more visible in the spring and in the presence of visitors, locomoted more and were less inactive when large crowds were present, foraged and locomoted more when it was earlier in the day, and locomoted more at higher temperatures. There were limited differences in bear visibility to observers between 2020 (when the zoo was temporarily closed to visitors) and the previous three years. There were no differences in rates of stereotypy or social behavior across seasons, crowds, or daily attendance categories. Based on these limited differences, neither season nor visitor density seemed to have an apparent effect on bear behavior or welfare.

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 2158
Author(s):  
Yueqin Shi ◽  
Zhanyang Yu ◽  
Zhengjun Li ◽  
Xiaodong Zhao ◽  
Yongjun Yuan

Plastic photodegradation naturally takes 300–500 years, and their chemical degradation typically needs additional energy or causes secondary pollution. The main components of global plastic are polymers. Hence, new technologies are urgently required for the effective decomposition of the polymers in natural environments, which lays the foundation for this study on future plastic degradation. This study synthesizes the in-situ growth of TiO2 at graphene oxide (GO) matrix to form the TiO2@GO photocatalyst, and studies its application in conjugated polymers’ photodegradation. The photodegradation process could be probed by UV-vis absorption originating from the conjugated backbone of polymers. We have found that the complete decomposition of various polymers in a natural environment by employing the photocatalyst TiO2@GO within 12 days. It is obvious that the TiO2@GO shows a higher photocatalyst activity than the TiO2, due to the higher crystallinity morphology and smaller size of TiO2, and the faster transmission of photogenerated electrons from TiO2 to GO. The stronger fluorescence (FL) intensity of TiO2@GO compared to TiO2 at the terephthalic acid aqueous solution indicates that more hydroxyl radicals (•OH) are produced for TiO2@GO. This further confirms that the GO could effectively decrease the generation of recombination centers, enhance the separation efficiency of photoinduced electrons and holes, and increase the photocatalytic activity of TiO2@GO. This work establishes the underlying basic mechanism of polymers photodegradation, which might open new avenues for simultaneously addressing the white pollution crisis in a natural environment.


Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 331
Author(s):  
Rita Albernaz-Gonçalves ◽  
Gabriela Olmos ◽  
Maria José Hötzel

Stressful management that makes farmed pigs susceptible to infections is associated with high antibiotic use (AMU) and resistance (AMR). Pig farmers are key stakeholders to support the international agenda pushing AMU restrictions. We interviewed 58 pig farmers on AMU/AMR, biosecurity, veterinary assistance, disease prevention and treatment, aiming to understand practices and attitudes towards the AMU/AMR problem. Farmers described a reliance on antibiotics to prevent and treat disease while neglecting biosecurity measures. We identified inappropriate AMU practices (high use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, incorrect dosage or treatment length) and unrestricted access to antibiotics, which encouraged imprudent AMU. Nevertheless, most farmers considered this AMU legitimate to guarantee herd productivity and showed unpreparedness and resistance to changing AMU practices, perceiving limitations (economic, sanitary and inspection) more easily than alternatives to reduce AMU. Agro-industries and foreign markets were mentioned, and internal consumers dismissed as potential motivators for behavioral changes. Importantly, farmers’ economic, technical and social factors may limit their autonomy to change practices. We conclude that the observed distancing of pig farmers from the AMU/AMR problem limits the efficiency of policies aiming for a prudent AMU. Our study indicates a need for education, training and behavior change nudging that should include other stakeholders beyond farmers.


2018 ◽  
Vol 59 ◽  
pp. 01022
Author(s):  
Nga Ian Tam

The phenomenological case study covers the limited research on Chinese students‟ experiences of nature in a tropical rainforest in Thailand. Macau is a very small place with only 20 % of natural resources remaining but Chinese students are born to be detached from these natural environments. Their comfortable lifestyle leads to a rise of unsustainable behavior such as an increased in consumption and household waste. With numerous researches that review the benefits of nature including an enhancement in environmental friendly behavior, a 7 d self-funded experiential learning program in a tropical rainforest in Thailand in 2015 was initiated in fostering 12 Chinese students‟ pro-environmental identity and behavior. Findings show the majority of students‟ pro-environmental identity and behavior is enhanced and they are trying to reconnect with the natural environment more often than before.


2021 ◽  
Vol 237 ◽  
pp. 04034
Author(s):  
Xinying Zhang ◽  
Wenjie Chen

As the natural environment becomes growingly deteriorated, environmental protection becomes a global common concern. Landscape architecture (LA) is concerned about the relationship among humans, the built, and natural environments, so it is of special significance to study corporate social responsibilities (CSR) of LA firms. This paper studied CSR of LA firms from the perspective of landscape architects, i.e., this paper explored LA design based on corporate social responsibilities. CSR of LA firms was classified into economic responsibilities and green responsibilities, so this paper studied LA design based on economic responsibilities and green responsibilities respectively. This paper contributes to the existing study of LA design by innovatively adding corporate social responsibilities into the LA design philosophies.


2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 33
Author(s):  
Akhmad Pandu Setiawan

Behaviorism learning theory is oriented towards results that can be measured and observed. Repetition and training used so that the desired behavior can become a habit. The expected results of the implementation of this behavioristic theory is the formation of a desired behavior. The desirable behavior gets positive reinforcement and behavior that is not appropriate awarded the negative. Evaluation or assessment based on observed behavior. In theory this learned professor was not much give a lecture, but the brief instruction is followed by examples by themselves or through simulation. The purpose of this paper is to describe the application of the theory Behavioristic and konstruktifistik in learning activities at the School of Raden Wijaya Tarbiyah Mojokerto. Behavioristic learning theory emphasizes the changes in behavior as well as a result of the interaction between stimulus and response. Learning is a process of behavioral changes as a result of the interaction between stimulus and response. A person is considered to have learned if he could show changes in behavior. Although learning theory tigkah behavior began to be abandoned century, but collaborate on this theory with cognitive learning theory and the theory of other learning is essential for creating a learning approach that is appropriate and effective, because basically there is no single theory of learning that is truly suited to creating a learning approaches and effective fit. especially with constructivism learning model. The role of the faculty in constructivist learning very demanding mastery of a broad and in-depth about the material taught. A broad and deep knowledge allow a lecturer accept different views and ideas of students and also makes it possible to indicate whether or not the idea of ​​the road. Mastery of the material allows a professor to understand all kinds of roads and the model to arrive at a solution to the problem without fixed on one model.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pratikshya Ray ◽  
Debasmita Das ◽  
Uday Pandey ◽  
Palok Aich

AbstractThe gut is the largest reservoir of the resident microbiota. The microbiota can affect the host behavior and immunity. While the consequence of treatment with antibiotics on the gut microbiota can be destructive but can be utilized as a tool to understand the host immunity and behavior. The magnitude of perturbation and time needed for the restoration of gut microbiota can depend on the immune bias of the host. In the current study, we therefore, observed the perturbation and restoration kinetics of gut microbiota following treatment with vancomycin and its effect on the host physiology in both Th1-(C57BL/6) and Th2-(BALB/c) biased mice. A comparative metagenomic analysis revealed that the treatment with vancomycin caused a significant decrease in the abundance of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes phyla and an initial increase in Proteobacteria. Increase in Proteobacteria decreased with continued treatment with vancomycin to result into a significant rise in Verrucomicrobia phylum. We established the patterns of gut microbiota alteration and its effect on a) the behavior of mice, b) expression of key brain molecules and b) immunity related genes. We followed the gut microbiome restoration for a period of two months following withdrawal of treatment with vancomycin. Maximum restoration (>70%) of gut microbiota happened by the 15th day of withdrawal. BALB/c mice showed a more efficient restoration of gut microbiota compared to C57BL/6 mice. The results, in general, revealed that along with the restoration of major gut microbes, important physiological and behavioral changes of both mice strains returned to the normal level.


1996 ◽  
Vol 12 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 419-426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Daly ◽  
Thomas Darvill ◽  
Edward Lonky ◽  
Jacqueline Reihman ◽  
David Sargent

Two research approaches are described that were used to determine behavioral changes following a diet of Lake Ontario fish. Approach 1 involved the correlational method, in which human subjects voluntarily ate contaminated Lake Ontario fish. Demographic information, data on the amount of Lake Ontario fish consumed, and control variables were obtained during an interview. Respondents' behavior, as well as the behavior of their children, then was measured. Because subjects were not assigned randomly to eat or not eat Lake Ontario fish, other variables that might have influenced both consumption of fish and behavior had to be considered. Therefore, confounding variables were measured and their influence controlled for using statistical techniques. Approach 2 involved the experimental method using laboratory rats, where subjects were assigned randomly to receive a diet of environmentally contaminated Lake Ontario salmon, relatively uncontaminated Pacific Ocean salmon, or no salmon. Since the rats fed Lake Ontario salmon behaved differently than the other two groups on nine tasks, it was concluded that the contaminants in Lake Ontario salmon caused behavioral changes. Random assignment of subjects to groups eliminated competing explanations. If similar behavioral (e.g., emotional or cognitive) results were obtained using the two approaches, then the results utilizing rats probably could be generalized to humans, and the correlational results found in humans probably were due to a cause and effect relationship.


2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 2565
Author(s):  
Odilene De Souza Teixeira ◽  
Ivan Luiz Brondani ◽  
Dari Celestino Alves Filho ◽  
José Laerte Nörnberg ◽  
Jonatas Cattelam ◽  
...  

This study was conducted aiming at measuring the performance and behavior of beef cattle surgically castrated, immunocastrated or non-castrated, finished at 18 months old in Aruana pasture and with energy supplementation. Thirty-nine male bovines with an initial average body weight and age of 284.1 ± 31.4 kg and 14 months old, respectively, were used. The bromatological composition analysis and productive parameters of the pasture did not differ between treatments. The performance of young cattle was not changed by the sexual condition. When evaluating the agonistic behavior, the non-castrated bovine presented a higher number of activities, such as threats and fights, in relation to those immunocastrated. The time spent on the feeder by non-castrated young cattle (56.20 minutes) was higher than that observed for surgically castrated or immunocastrated (41.43 and 32.38 minutes, respectively). The combination between the correct management of Aruana pasture and use of supplementation showed to be promising for finishing bovines. Both surgically castrated and immunocastrated steers demonstrated to be equivalents in the performed evaluations. Therefore, if the farmer chooses castration, the use of immunocastration is suggested. This practice is less invasive, preserves animal welfare more than surgical castration, and has a lower cost.


1987 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshihide ICHIKAWA ◽  
Hidetoshi OKAMOTO ◽  
Yoshihiro FUJIMOTO ◽  
Yoshio KAWANISHI ◽  
Yôichi TUBOI

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