Trans‐Saharan migrants often spend a large proportion of their annual cycle wintering in the Sahel. Advances in fieldwork and tracking technology have greatly enhanced our ability to study their ...ecology in these areas. Using GPS‐tracking we aimed to investigate the little known non‐breeding movements of the lesser kestrel Falco naumanni in sub‐Saharan Africa. We segment non‐breeding tracks (n = 79 tracks by 54 individuals) into staging events (131 ± 25 days per non‐breeding cycle), itinerant movements between staging sites (11 ± 10 days), and non‐directed exploratory movements (6 ± 5 days). We then describe timing and directionality of itinerant movements by male and female kestrels throughout the non‐breeding season. Regardless of sex, lesser kestrels spent on average 89% of the non‐breeding season staging at two (range = 1–4) sites in West Africa. At the end of September, kestrels arrived along a broad front throughout the northern Sahel. By December, however, they congregated into two distinct clusters in Senegal and along the Malian–Mauritanian border. The birds stayed for longer periods and showed greater daily activity in the latter areas, compared to their first and intermediate ones. Among 24 individuals tracked along multiple annual cycles, 20 individuals consistently used the Senegalese or Malian–Mauritanian cluster. The remaining four birds either used these clusters in the 2nd or 3rd year of tracking or alternated between them across different years. The eastward and westward itinerant movements of lesser kestrels during the non‐breeding season, coupled with their tendency to cluster geographically towards the end, differ from the southward movements of other insectivorous raptors in West Africa. While 31% of Spanish lesser kestrels converged in Senegal, where roosts of > 20 000 birds are known, 68% moved into the Malian‐Mauritanian border region where more groundwork is needed.
Abstract
Monitoring compliance with environmental laws is essential to overcoming possible implementation shortfalls jeopardizing their effectiveness. Besides improving our ecological understanding ...of wildlife, remote tracking technologies also allow us to take advantage of such ecological knowledge to use wildlife as sentinels of compliance with law.
We illustrate this sentinel potential of wildlife using GPS tracking of large scavengers with complementary functional traits (i.e. 21 griffon vultures and 13 wolves) to assess compliance with EU sanitary regulations allowing livestock carcass disposal in the field.
Wildlife sentinels allowed the systematic evaluation of 489 livestock carcasses left in the field, which revealed an important mismatch between on‐paper and in‐reality implementation of these regulations. While <45% of the carcasses were placed in authorized areas, compliance with all the criteria required by the regulations on livestock carcass disposal (e.g. from carcass characteristics such as species, age or production system to its location far away from water, buildings or roads) ranged from 0% to 4.2%, with no major differences between regions with uneven implementation.
Major gaps in compliance pointed towards insufficient and over‐bureaucratized designation of scavenger feeding zones, where livestock carcass disposal is authorized. The indiscriminate nature of distance criteria from carcasses to watercourses, buildings and infrastructure further affected compliance.
Synthesis and applications
. GPS‐tagged scavengers allow the on‐ground monitoring of carcasses, the addressing of potential risks for wildlife, livestock and human health, the quantitative assessment of compliance with the law and would improve estimates of carcass availability, substantially contributing to more effective legislation enforcement. Our results show the huge potential of GPS‐tagged wildlife as sentinels for monitoring compliance to enhance the environmental rule of law.
Resumen
Evaluar el grado de cumplimiento de las normativas ambientales resulta clave a la hora de corregir posibles fallos de implementación que comprometan su efectividad. Además de mejorar nuestro conocimiento sobre la ecología de la fauna silvestre, las tecnologías de seguimiento remoto permiten utilizar a las especies silvestres como centinelas del cumplimiento de las leyes que afectan a la conservación de la naturaleza.
En este trabajo ilustramos ese potencial como especies centinelas mediante el seguimiento GPS de grandes carnívoros y aves carroñeras con rasgos funcionales complementarios. En concreto, se utilizaron 21 buitres leonados y 13 lobos para evaluar el nivel de cumplimiento de las normativas sanitarias europeas que permiten abandonar carroñas de ganado en el campo.
Con la ayuda de las especies centinelas, pudimos evaluar de forma sistemática 489 carroñas de ganado abandonadas en el campo, que revelaron una notable falta de correspondencia entre lo que recoge la normativa, y lo que se observa en la realidad. Menos del 45% de las carroñas se encontraron en áreas autorizadas, mientras que el nivel de cumplimiento simultáneo de todos los criterios requeridos por las normativas (ej. desde características como la edad, especie u origen de las carroñas hasta su ubicación lejos de puntos de agua, edificios o carreteras) osciló entre 0 y 4,2%, sin grandes diferencias entre regiones administrativas con distinta implementación.
El correcto cumplimento de las normativas se ve afectado por la insuficiente y excesivamente burocratizada designación de Zonas para la Alimentación de Especies Necrófagas, dónde se permite dejar carroñas de ganado. Las distancias de las carroñas a puntos de agua, edificios e infraestructuras limitaron aún más el cumplimiento.
Síntesis y aplicaciones
. El uso como centinelas de las especies carroñeras equipadas con dispositivos GPS permite el seguimiento de carroñas de ganado en el campo, la detección de riesgos para la fauna silvestre, el ganado y la salud humana, la valoración cuantitativa del grado de cumplimiento de la legislación, y mejoraría las estimas de carroña disponible en el campo, contribuyendo sustancialmente a una aplicación más efectiva de la normativa vigente. Nuestros resultados muestran el enorme potencial del seguimiento GPS de fauna silvestre para monitorizar el cumplimiento de la legislación ambiental y mejorar su aplicación.
Resumo
A avaliação do grau de cumprimento da legislação ambiental é fundamental para corrigir possíveis falhas de implementação que comprometam a sua eficácia. Para além de melhorar o nosso conhecimento sobre a ecologia da fauna silvestre, as tecnologias de seguimento remoto também nos permitem utilizar as espécies silvestres como sentinelas do cumprimento das leis relacionadas com a conservação da natureza e da biodiversidade.
Neste estudo, ilustramos esse potencial de espécies sentinelas utilizando o seguimento por GPS de aves necrófagas e grandes carnívoros com características funcionais complementares. Concretamente, utilizámos 21 grifos e 13 lobos para avaliar o grau de cumprimento dos regulamentos sanitários da União Europeia que permitem disponibilizar cadáveres de espécies pecuárias no campo.
Através das espécies sentinelas usadas, fomos capazes de avaliar, de forma sistemática, 489 cadáveres de espécies pecuárias abandonadas no campo, as quais revelaram um desfasamento considerável entre aquilo que está previsto nos regulamentos e o que se observa na realidade. Menos de 45% dos cadáveres foram encontrados em áreas autorizadas, enquanto o grau de cumprimento simultâneo de todos os critérios exigidos pelos regulamentos (e.g. desde características do cadáver como a espécie, a idade ou o sistema de produção, até à sua localização relativamente a pontos de água, edifícios ou estradas) variou entre 0 e 4,2%, sem grandes diferenças entre regiões administrativas com implementação distinta.
As principais falhas no cumprimento dos regulamentos estiveram relacionadas com a designação insuficiente e excessivamente burocratizada das Zonas para Alimentação de Espécies Necrófagas, onde é autorizada a disponibilização de cadáveres de espécies pecuárias. A distância dos cadáveres em relação a pontos de água, edifícios e outras infraestruturas afetou ainda mais o grau de cumprimento.
Síntese e aplicações
. O uso, como sentinelas, de espécies necrófagas equipadas com dispositivos GPS permite a monitorização de cadáveres de animais no terreno, a deteção de ameaças para a fauna silvestre, animais domésticos e saúde humana, a avaliação quantitativa do grau de cumprimento da legislação e poderia, ainda, melhorar as estimativas acerca da disponibilidade de cadáveres no campo, contribuindo substancialmente para uma aplicação mais eficaz da legislação vigente. Os nossos resultados demonstram o enorme potencial das espécies de fauna silvestre equipadas com dispositivos GPS para monitorizar o cumprimento da legislação ambiental e melhorar a sua aplicação.
Abstract
Previous studies have suggested that exposure to statins confers a protective effect in bloodstream infection (BSI) due to the anti‐inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties attributed to ...these lipid‐lowering drugs. Scarce evidence is available for the solid organ transplant population. Therefore, we compared the time to clinical cure (primary outcome) and the time to fever resolution, new requirement of intensive care unit admission or renal replacement therapy, and 30‐day all‐cause mortality (secondary outcomes) between kidney transplant (KT) recipients with post‐transplant BSI that were receiving or not statin therapy for at least the previous 30 days. We included 80 KT recipients that developed 109 BSI episodes (43 39.4% and 66 60.6% episodes within the statin and non‐statin groups, respectively). The median interval since the initial prescription to BSI was 512 days (interquartile range IQR: 172–1388). Most episodes were of urinary source and due to Enterobacterales. There were no differences in the median time to clinical cure in the statin and non‐statin groups (3.4 IQR: 3–6.8 versus 4 IQR: 2–6 days;
p
‐value = .112). The lack of effect was confirmed by multiple linear regression analysis adjusted for confounding factors (standardized
β
coefficient = 0.040;
p
‐value = .709). No significant differences were observed for any of the secondary outcomes either. Vital signs and laboratory values at BSI onset and after 72–96 h were similar in both groups. In conclusion, previous statin therapy had no apparent protective effect on the outcome of post‐transplant BSI among KT recipients.
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External factors such as geography and weather strongly affect bird migration influencing daily travel schedules and flight speeds. For strictly thermal-soaring migrants, weather explains most ...seasonal and regional differences in speed. Flight generalists, which alternate between soaring and flapping flight, are expected to be less dependent on weather, and daily travel schedules are likely to be strongly influenced by geography and internal factors such as sex. We GPS-tracked the migration of 70 lesser kestrels (Falco naumanni) to estimate the relative importance of external factors (wind, geography), internal factors (sex) and season, and the extent to which they explain variation in travel speed, distance, and duration. Our results show that geography and tailwind are important factors in explaining variation in daily travel schedules and speeds. We found that wind explained most of the seasonal differences in travel speed. In both seasons, lesser kestrels sprinted across ecological barriers and frequently migrated during the day and night. Conversely, they travelled at a slower pace and mainly during the day over non-barriers. Our results highlighted that external factors far outweighed internal factors and season in explaining variation in migratory behaviour of a flight generalist, despite its ability to switch between flight modes.
The importance of human factors/ergonomics (HFE) is well established in all high-reliability systems but only applied in the healthcare sector relatively recently. Across many sectors, ...low-/middle-income countries (LMICs) lag behind more economically developed countries in their application of this safety science, due to resource and, in some cases, awareness and expertise. Most previous applications of HFE related to occupational ergonomics rather than healthcare safety.
The paper details how the reputation of HFE is being developed within healthcare communities of Latin America (LatAm), through increasing awareness and understanding of its role as safety science in the healthcare sector. It starts by articulating the need for HFE and then provides examples from Mexico, Colombia and Peru.
The practical examples for research and education illustrate a developing awareness of the relevance of HFE to the healthcare sectors in LatAm and an appreciation of its worth to improve health service quality and patient safety through healthcare community engagement. A new LatAm Network of HFE in Healthcare Systems (RELAESA) was formed in 2019, which has provided a platform for HFE advice during the COVID-19 pandemic.
There is a real opportunity in LatAm and other LMIC health services to make more rapid and sustainable progress in healthcare-embedded HFE than has been experienced within healthcare services of more developed nations.
Unsustainable fossil fuel emissions have prompted a global shift towards renewable energy sources, such as wind. This has led to a strong expansion of wind power generation infrastructures, often ...conflicting with biodiversity conservation. Relatively large flying animals, such as birds and bats, have frequently been reported to collide with wind turbines, resulting in casualties that can depress population size and lead to local extinctions. Migratory species that move across continents through their year-round displacements may be especially at risk. We comprehensively assessed wind turbine exposure for a colonial migratory raptor of European conservation interest, the lesser kestrel Falco naumanni, based on the distribution and size of >1800 colonies and a large GPS-tracking dataset (>350 individuals) for three distinct biogeographical populations (from Iberian, Italian, and Balkan peninsulas). 26 % of the European population has at least one wind turbine within the foraging areas around colony sites, Italian colonies being most at risk. The main European network of protected areas, the Natura 2000 network, failed to mitigate the potential negative impact of wind turbines on breeding populations. GPS-tracking revealed that exposure was negligible in the African non-breeding areas (Sahel region), particularly high during migration, and lower during breeding for Iberian and Balkan individuals but not for Italian ones. Different countries should prioritize different measures to mitigate collision risk with wind power generation infrastructures. This case study can be leveraged by conservationists and renewable energy stakeholders to mitigate conflicts between biodiversity conservation and expected wind energy infrastructure development in the near future.
Below-ground soil microorganisms can modulate above-ground plant-insect interactions. It still needs to be determined whether this is a direct effect of single species or an indirect effect of shifts ...in soil microbial community assemblages. Evaluation of the soil microbiome as a whole is critical for understanding multi-trophic interactions, including those mediated by volatiles involving plants, herbivorous insects, predators/parasitoids and microorganisms. We implemented a regulated system comprising Nerium oleander plants grown in soil initially containing a sterile/non sterile inoculum, herbivore Aphis nerii and predator Chrysoperla carnea. After aphid attack, plants emitted a characteristic blend of volatiles derived from two biosynthetic classes: fatty acid catabolites and aromatic-derived products. Three aliphatic compounds were mainly detected in plants grown in the inoculated microbial soil, a blend which was preferentially chosen by C. carnea adult females. The contrasting effect of the initial inocula was attributed to the different microbial consortia developed in each treatment. We argue that differences in the relative abundance of the active microbial communities in the rhizosphere correlate with those in the emission of selected volatile compounds by attacked plants. The mechanisms involved in how the functional soil microbiome modulates inducible indirect defence of plants are discussed.
Haploinsufficiency of
has been associated with a syndromic form of neurodevelopmental delay characterized by intellectual disability, autistic features, and microcephaly, also known as AUTS2 ...syndrome. While the phenotype associated with large deletions and duplications of
is well established, clinical features of patients harboring
sequence variants have not been extensively described. In this study, we describe the phenotype of five new patients with
pathogenic variants, three of them harboring loss-of-function sequence variants. The phenotype of the patients was characterized by attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autistic features and mild global developmental delay (GDD) or intellectual disability (ID), all in 4/5 patients (80%), a frequency higher than previously reported for ADHD and autistic features. Microcephaly and short stature were found in 60% of the patients; and feeding difficulties, generalized hypotonia, and ptosis, were each found in 40%. We also provide the aggregated frequency of the 32 items included in the AUTS2 syndrome severity score (ASSS) in patients currently reported in the literature. The main characteristics of the syndrome are GDD/ID in 98% of patients, microcephaly in 65%, feeding difficulties in 62%, ADHD or hyperactivity in 54%, and autistic traits in 52%. Finally, using the location of 31 variants from the literature together with variants from the five patients, we found significantly higher ASSS values in patients with pathogenic variants affecting the 3' end of the gene, confirming the genotype-phenotype correlation initially described.
Abstract
Migratory connectivity describes the linkage between breeding and nonbreeding sites, having major ecological implications in birds: 1 season influence the success of an individual or a ...population in the following season. Most studies on migratory connectivity have used large-scale approaches, often considering regional populations, but fine-scale studies are also necessary to understand colony connectivity. The lesser kestrel Falco naumanni, an insectivorous migratory raptor which form colonies during the breeding period, was considered to have strong connectivity based on regional populations. However, no small-scale studies on migratory connectivity have been conducted. Therefore, we GPS (Global Positioning System)-tracked 40 adult lesser kestrels from 15 different Spanish breeding colonies, estimating the overlap index between home ranges and the distance between their centroids. It was found that lesser kestrels from the same breeding colony placed their nonbreeding areas at 347 ± 281 km (mean ± standard deviation) away from each other (range = 23–990), and their home ranges overlapped by 38.4 ± 23.6%. No differences between intra-colony and inter-colony metrics were found, which suggests that lesser kestrels from the same breeding cluster do not overwinter together, but they spread out and mixed independently of the colony belonging throughout the nonbreeding range of the species. Ultimately, this study highlights the importance of performing connectivity studies using fine-scale approaches.
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