scholarly journals Effect of Human Disturbance on Bird Telomere Length: An Experimental Approach

2022 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zulima Tablado ◽  
Yves Bötsch ◽  
Thibaut Powolny ◽  
Sylvie Massemin ◽  
Sandrine Zahn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Telomere Length ◽  
Human Disturbance ◽  
Parus Major ◽  
Wild Animals ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Physiological Reactions ◽  
Experimental Disturbance

Human recreational activities increase worldwide in space and frequency leading to higher rates of encounter between humans and wild animals. Because wildlife often perceive humans as predators, this increase in human disturbance may have negative consequences for the individuals and also for the viability of populations. Up to now, experiments on the effects of human disturbance on wildlife have mainly focused on individual behavioral and stress-physiological reactions, on breeding success, and on survival. However, the effects on other physiological parameters and trans-generational effects remain poorly understood. We used a low-intensity experimental disturbance in the field to explore the impacts of human disturbance on telomere length in great tit (Parus major) populations and found a clear effect of disturbance on telomere length. Adult males, but not females, in disturbed plots showed shorter telomere lengths when compared to control plot. Moreover, variation in telomere length of adult great tits was reflected in the next generation, as we found a positive correlation between telomere length of the chicks and of their fathers. Given that telomere length has been linked to animal lifespan, our study highlights that activities considered to be of little concern (i.e., low levels of disturbance) can have a long-lasting impact on the physiology and survival of wild animals and their next generation.

The Negative Consequences of Stuttering for Perceptions of Leadership Ability

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Virgil Zeigler-Hill ◽  
Avi Besser ◽  
Yuval Besser
Keyword(s):  
Self Esteem ◽  
Negative Association ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Perceived Leadership ◽  
Negative Perceptions ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Perceptions Of Leadership

Abstract. The purpose of the present study was to extend previous research concerning the negative perceptions of stuttering by considering the perceived leadership ability of targets who stuttered compared with targets who did not stutter. We were also interested in the possibility that negative perceptions of the targets (i.e., low levels of self-esteem, intelligence, dominance-based status motivation, and prestige-based status motivation) would mediate the association between stuttering and a lack of perceived leadership ability as well as the possibility that manipulating the ostensible self-esteem level of the target would further moderate these associations. The results for 838 Israeli community members revealed a negative association between stuttering and perceived leadership ability that was mediated by the perceived self-esteem level and dominance-based status motivation of the target. Further, the associations between stuttering and perceptions of leadership ability were moderated by the ostensible self-esteem level of the target. Discussion focuses on the implications of these results for understanding the negative halo that surrounds stuttering.

scholarly journals Impact of COVID-19 on Residents’ Willingness to Consume Wild Animals: Empirical Insights From China

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Si Ruishi ◽  
Lu Qian ◽  
Noshaba Aziz
Keyword(s):  
Willingness To Pay ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Ecological Environment ◽  
Wild Animals ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Security Risk ◽  
Market Control ◽  
The Government ◽  
Household Heads

Abstract Background: It is argued that wild animals are the culprit of transmission of COVID-19 and poor health of the people, though any evidence is not found, the government has widely publicized the risk allied with eating wild animals. Therefore, this study attempts to explore the effect of COVID-19 on residents’ willingness to consume wild animals (WCWA) and their amount of willingness to pay (AWP). Methods: Data were gathered online from 1250 household heads of both urban and rural residents of Hubei, Hunan, and Guangdong provinces during the period of 19th to 26th March 2020 and Probit and Tobit model is employed to meet the study objectives. Results: The results showed that around 39.20% of residents are willing to consume wild animals and their amount of willingness to pay was 34.65 USD/year. In the context of market control policy & home restriction policy, the mediating effect is 34.20% & 27.73% respectively. In contrast, in the context of ecological environment risk and food security risk perception, the mediating effects are 7.94% and 10.16% respectively. Conclusions: Although COVID-19 reduced the probability of residents’ WCWA, the effect on AWP was not significant. Moreover, COVID-19’s effects on residents’ WCWA through market control and home restriction policies were strong, but perceptions of the ecological environment and food safety risk were relatively weak. These results provide insights for policymakers in terms of raising public awareness of the negative consequences of consuming wild animals and increasing knowledge of the animals’ protection.

Self‐esteem and suicide rates in 55 Nations

2009 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Armand Chatard ◽  
Leila Selimbegović ◽  
Paul N'Dri Konan
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Prevention Strategies ◽  
Suicide Rates ◽  
National Differences ◽  
Growing Body ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Relevant Factors

Using recent data from the International Sexuality Description Project (ISDP), we examined whether national differences in self‐esteem across 55 nations are reflected in suicide rates. Results indicate that suicide is especially common in nations with relatively low levels of self‐esteem. This relation is consistent across sex lines, age of suicide and independent from several other relevant factors such as economic affluence, transition, individualism, subjective well‐being, and neuroticism. These findings provide support for the predictive validity of self‐esteem scores as assessed in the ISDP survey. They also contribute to a growing body of research documenting negative consequences associated with low self‐esteem. Possible implications for suicide prevention strategies are discussed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Recolonization of bigleaf maple branches by epiphytic bryophytes following experimental disturbance

2001 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander R Cobb ◽  
Nalini M Nadkarni ◽  
Grant A Ramsey ◽  
Abraham J Svoboda
Keyword(s):  
Human Disturbance ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Gamma Diversity ◽  
Successional Stage ◽  
Exposed Area ◽  
Plant Parts ◽  
Acer Macrophyllum ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Residual Plant ◽  
Experimental Disturbance

The dynamics of epiphytic bryophyte communities following natural and human disturbance have rarely been quantified. We describe the response of bryophyte communities on bigleaf maple trees (Acer macrophyllum Pursh) in Olympia, Washington, following their experimental removal. Approximately 8% of the exposed area was recolonized by bryophytes 1 year after clearing, and 27% after 3 years. Lateral encroachment from bryophytes on the sides of the 20-cm-long plots accounted for 75% of this recolonization, with growth from residual plant parts or aerially dispersed diaspores accounting for the remaining 25%. Though it was not possible to distinguish between the latter two sources of cover, the number of clear de novo colonization events over the course of the year was low (0.18 dm-2). Disturbance appeared to reduce bryophyte diversity at this successional stage, as alpha and gamma diversity remained low after 1 year and had not recovered after 3 years. Reflecting the preponderance of lateral encroachment as the mechanism for recolonization, disturbance size may significantly affect the time needed to recolonize disturbed branch substrates. In addition to contributing to ecologists' understanding of processes of succession, these experiments may help to develop sustainable practices for moss-harvesting in the Pacific Northwest.Key words: succession, bryophytes, epiphytes, Acer macrophyllum, recolonization, canopy studies.

Telomere length is independently associated with age, oxidative biomarkers, and sport training in skeletal muscle of healthy adult males

2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (6) ◽  
pp. 639-647 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiorenza Magi ◽  
Ivan Dimauro ◽  
Fabrizio Margheritini ◽  
Guglielmo Duranti ◽  
Neri Mercatelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Telomere Length ◽  
Healthy Adult ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Sport Training ◽  
Oxidative Biomarkers

scholarly journals Variation in Human Disturbance Differentially Affects Predation Risk Assessment in Western Gulls

The Condor ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 107 (1) ◽  
pp. 178-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolaas V. Webb ◽  
Daniel T. Blumstein
Keyword(s):  
Human Disturbance ◽  
Anthropogenic Impacts ◽  
Important Goal ◽  
Larus Occidentalis ◽  
Predation Risk Assessment ◽  
Santa Monica ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
A Site ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Flight Initiation

Abstract Many studies have demonstrated that birds behave differently in areas with different levels of human disturbance. Studies frequently characterize sites as having an overall level of human disturbance, and compare how birds respond at sites with high and low levels of disturbance. Doing so assumes that disturbance has a fairly constant effect on animals throughout a site. We measured the distance at which individual Western Gulls (Larus occidentalis) moved away from an approaching observer along a stretch of beach on both sides of the Santa Monica Pier, a heavily visited tourist attraction in southern California. We found that these flight initiation distances decreased in areas where more people visited the beach, and specifically in a small area near the pier. We found that flight initiation distance changed very rapidly within a short distance from the pier. Our results indicate that anthropogenic features may leave a “behavioral footprint.” Identifying the scale of such behavioral footprints should be an important goal of studies that seek to reduce anthropogenic impacts on birds. La Variación del Disturbio Humano Afecta Diferencialmente la Percepción del Riesgo de Depredación en Gaviotas Larus occidentalis Resumen. Muchos estudios han demostrado que las aves se comportan de modo diferente en áreas con distintos niveles de disturbio humano. Los estudios frecuentemente caracterizan sitios con base en su nivel general de disturbio y comparan las respuestas de las aves entre lugares con niveles altos y bajos de disturbio. Al hacer esto, se supone que el disturbio tiene un efecto aproximadamente constante sobre los animales a través de un sitio dado. En este estudio medimos la distancia a la cual gaviotas de la especie Larus occidentalis se desplazaron alejándose de un observador a lo largo de un tramo de playa en ambos lados del embarcadero de Santa Monica, una atracción turística muy visitada ubicada en el sur de California. Encontramos que las distancias al observador a las que las aves iniciaron el vuelo disminuyeron en áreas donde más personas visitaron la playa, y específicamente en un área cercana al embarcadero. Las distancias a las que las gaviotas iniciaron el vuelo cambiaron muy rá pidamente en una distancia muy corta desde el puerto, hasta alcanzar una distancia constante. Nuestros resultados indican que las estructuras antropogénicas podrian dejar una “huella comportamental”. Identificar la escala de dichas huellas debería ser un objetivo importante de estudios que tengan como fin reducir el impacto antrópico sobre las aves.

scholarly journals Differential Regulation of Telomeric Complex by BCR-ABL1 Kinase in Human Cellular Models of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia—From Single Cell Analysis to Next-Generation Sequencing

Genes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1145
Author(s):  
Anna Deregowska ◽  
Monika Pepek ◽  
Katarzyna Pruszczyk ◽  
Marcin M. Machnicki ◽  
Maciej Wnuk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Next Generation Sequencing ◽  
Chronic Myeloid Leukemia ◽  
Telomere Length ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Copy Number ◽  
Myeloid Leukemia ◽  
Telomere Maintenance ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Cellular Models ◽  
Generation Sequencing

Telomeres are specialized nucleoprotein complexes, localized at the physical ends of chromosomes, that contribute to the maintenance of genome stability. One of the features of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cells is a reduction in telomere length which may result in increased genomic instability and progression of the disease. Aberrant telomere maintenance in CML is not fully understood and other mechanisms such as the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) are involved. In this work, we employed five BCR-ABL1-positive cell lines, namely K562, KU-812, LAMA-84, MEG-A2, and MOLM-1, commonly used in the laboratories to study the link between mutation, copy number, and expression of telomere maintenance genes with the expression, copy number, and activity of BCR-ABL1. Our results demonstrated that the copy number and expression of BCR-ABL1 are crucial for telomere lengthening. We observed a correlation between BCR-ABL1 expression and telomere length as well as shelterins upregulation. Next-generation sequencing revealed pathogenic variants and copy number alterations in major tumor suppressors, such as TP53 and CDKN2A, but not in telomere-associated genes. Taken together, we showed that BCR-ABL1 kinase expression and activity play a crucial role in the maintenance of telomeres in CML cell lines. Our results may help to validate and properly interpret results obtained by many laboratories employing these in vitro models of CML.

scholarly journals Predators’ consumption of unpalatable prey does not vary as a function of bitter taste perception

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 383-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liisa Hämäläinen ◽  
Johanna Mappes ◽  
Rose Thorogood ◽  
Janne K Valkonen ◽  
Kaijamari Karttunen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Bitter Taste ◽  
Random Sequence ◽  
Parus Major ◽  
Taste Perception ◽  
Response Threshold ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Taste Response ◽  
Energetic State ◽  
Prey Defenses

Abstract Many prey species contain defensive chemicals that are described as tasting bitter. Bitter taste perception is, therefore, assumed to be important when predators are learning about prey defenses. However, it is not known how individuals differ in their response to bitter taste, and how this influences their foraging decisions. We conducted taste perception assays in which wild-caught great tits (Parus major) were given water with increasing concentrations of bitter-tasting chloroquine diphosphate until they showed an aversive response to bitter taste. This response threshold was found to vary considerably among individuals, ranging from chloroquine concentrations of 0.01 mmol/L to 8 mmol/L. We next investigated whether the response threshold influenced the consumption of defended prey during avoidance learning by presenting birds with novel palatable and defended prey in a random sequence until they refused to attack defended prey. We predicted that individuals with taste response thresholds at lower concentrations would consume fewer defended prey before rejecting them, but found that the response threshold had no effect on the birds’ foraging choices. Instead, willingness to consume defended prey was influenced by the birds’ body condition. This effect was age- and sex-dependent, with adult males attacking more of the defended prey when their body condition was poor, whereas body condition did not have an effect on the foraging choices of juveniles and females. Together, our results suggest that even though taste perception might be important for recognizing prey toxicity, other factors, such as predators’ energetic state, drive the decisions to consume chemically defended prey.

scholarly journals Using smartphone app collected data to explore the link between mechanization and intra-household allocation of time in Zambia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Daum ◽  
Filippo Capezzone ◽  
Regina Birner
Keyword(s):  
Time Use ◽  
Compositional Data ◽  
Smartphone Application ◽  
Compositional Data Analysis ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Land Preparation ◽  
Allocation Of Time ◽  
Household Allocation

Abstract Digital tools may help to study socioeconomic aspects of agricultural development that are difficult to measure such as the effects of new policies and technologies on the intra-household allocation of time. As farm technologies target different crops and tasks, they can affect the time-use of men, women, boys, and girls differently. Development strategies that overlook such effects can have negative consequences for vulnerable household members. In this paper, the time-use patterns associated with different levels of agricultural mechanization during land preparation in smallholder farming households in Zambia were investigated. A novel data collection method was used: a pictorial smartphone application that allows real-time recording of time-use, which eliminates recall bias. Existing studies analyzing the intra-household allocation of resources often focus on adult males and females. This study paid particular attention to boys and girls as well as adults. The study addressed seasonal variations. Compositional data analysis was used to account for the co-dependence and sum constraint of time-use data. The study suggests a strong gender differentiation for land preparation activities among mechanized households; for households using manual labor, such differentiation was not found. There is some evidence that the surplus time associated with mechanization is used for off-farm and domestic work. The study cannot confirm concerns about negative second-round effects: mechanized land preparation is not associated with a higher workload for women and children during weeding and harvesting/processing. The study provides a proof-of-concept that smartphone applications can be used to collect socioeconomic data that are difficult to measure but of high relevance.

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