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Anadromous salmonid species vary in their use of open ocean, coastal, and inland marine waters. To better understand this diversity in behavior and habitat use, 120 coastal cutthroat trout, Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii, were caught in southern Puget Sound, Washington, USA, tagged with acoustic transmitters, and 95 were detected by a network of receiver stations. Despite sufficient time to reach other parts of the Salish Sea where many receivers operated, none was detected beyond southern Puget Sound, indicating localized movements. Within southern Puget Sound, fish were detected at 34 of 127 receivers in marine sites throughout the year but especially in spring and fall. Most detection events (between first and last detections at a given receiver) were brief (60.5% were ≤ 2 h and 76.8% ≤ 6 h), indicating movement along the shoreline. However, 823 events (12.8%) exceeded 12 h and 222 (3.4%) exceeded 24 h at a receiver, indicating longer occupancy at certain sites and by certain individuals. The detections also indicated that cutthroat trout were active throughout the 24-h period, but they moved more often at night and less often in other periods than would occur by chance, and they moved more often on ebbing and flooding tides and less often at slack periods. Fish with pressure-sensitive transmitters were almost always (97.3% of records) within 2.5 m of the surface and 76.8% between 1 – 2 m, despite deeper and shallower waters nearby where they could have been detected. The data provide new insights into the behavior of this species, whose marine ecology has not been extensively studied, and differs markedly from the region's other native salmonids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigating the movements and site fidelity of individuals enhances our understanding of population ecology and structure. Killer whales occur around the coast of Iceland; however, information on the connectivity between different regions is limited to herring grounds, where they are observed frequently. In this study, we used photo-identification data to investigate the movements and site fidelity of whales within (South and West) and outside (Southwest, Northwest, Northeast and East) Icelandic herring grounds. Additionally, we used a 10-year photo-identification dataset in the South to investigate long-term site fidelity patterns to a single location. Of the 440 individuals sighted more than once, nearly half (48%) moved between herring grounds and site fidelity was higher within, compared to outside, herring grounds. Outside herring grounds, individuals showed: more movement from Southwest to West compare to South, indicating this region is not exclusively a passage between herring grounds; low site fidelity to the Northeast with fewer photographic matches to other regions, suggesting individuals found here may be part of an offshore population that occasionally visits the area; and low proportion of matches to other regions in the Northwest and East, although small sample sizes precluded firm conclusions. Finally, long-term residency of killer whales in the South showed dynamic patterns, likely caused by prey availability and/or environmental changes. This study elucidates the complexities of killer whale occurrence and connectivity within the North Atlantic and suggests population structure that should be further investigated for appropriate regional conservation assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of industrial robots and collaborative robots on manufacturing shopfloors has been rapidly increasing over the past decades. However, research on industrial robot perception and attributions toward them is scarce as related work has predominantly explored the effect of robot appearance, movement patterns, or human-likeness of humanoid robots. The current research specifically examines attributions and perceptions of industrial robots—specifically, articulated collaborative robots—and how the type of movements of such robots impact human perception and preference. We developed and empirically tested a novel model of robot movement behavior and demonstrate how altering the movement behavior of a robotic arm leads to differing attributions of the robot's human-likeness. These findings have important implications for emerging research on the impact of robot movement on worker perception, preferences, and behavior in industrial settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hundreds of languages worldwide use a sentence structure known as the "clause chain," in which 20 or more clauses can be stacked to form a sentence. The Papuan language Nungon is among a subset of clause chaining languages that require "switch-reference" suffixes on nonfinal verbs in chains. These suffixes announce whether the subject of each upcoming clause will differ from the subject of the previous clause. We examine two major issues in psycholinguistics: predictive processing in comprehension, and advance planning in production. Whereas previous work on other languages has demonstrated that sentence planning can be incremental, switch-reference marking would seem to prohibit strictly incremental planning, as it requires speakers to plan the next clause before they can finish producing the current one. This suggests an intriguing possibility: planning strategies may be fundamentally different in Nungon. We used a mobile eye-tracker and solar-powered laptops in a remote village in Papua, New Guinea, to track Nungon speakers' gaze in two experiments: comprehension and production. Curiously, during comprehension, fixation data failed to find evidence that switch-reference marking is used for predictive processing. However, during production, we found evidence for advance planning of switch-reference markers, and, by extension, the subjects they presage. We propose that this degree of advance syntactic planning pushes the boundaries of what is known about sentence planning, drawing on data from a novel morpheme type in an understudied language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black rats are amongst the most studied mammals in the world due to both their broad distribution and their destructive association with humans. An exception has been southern Africa where their arrival and spread received little attention until recent genetic studies began to fill this knowledge gap. The present review examines two aspects of the broader picture that complement and provide a framework for these detailed analyses. One is the history of human movements and activities in Africa that must have facilitated the entry of Black rats first overland and subsequently by sea down both the east and west coasts. Second is the potential of sub-fossil remains from archaeological sites for improving the early time frame of the arrival of Black rats in the region and for providing samples for genetic analyses. Existing evidence shows that Black rats had already arrived in southern Africa by the eighth century AD in the company of Iron Age farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Central place foragers such as pelagic seabirds often travel large distances to reach profitable foraging areas. King penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) are well known for their large-scale foraging movements to the productive Antarctic Polar Front, though their fine-scale travelling and foraging characteristics remain unclear. Here, we investigated the horizontal movements and foraging patterns of king penguins to understand their fine-scale movement decisions during distant foraging trips. We attached multi-channel data loggers that can record depth, speed, tri-axis acceleration, tri-axis magnetism, and environmental temperature of the penguins and obtained data (n = 8 birds) on their horizontal movement rates from reconstructed dive paths and their feeding attempts estimated from rapid changes in swim speed. During transit toward main foraging areas, penguins increased the time spent on shallow travelling dives (< 50 m) at night and around midday, and increased the time spent on deep foraging dives (≥ 50 m) during crepuscular hours. The horizontal movement rates during deep dives were negatively correlated with maximum dive depths, suggesting that foraging at greater depths is associated with a decreased horizontal travelling speed. Penguins concentrated their foraging efforts (more deep dives and higher rates of feeding attempts) at twilight during transit, when prey may be more accessible due to diel vertical migration, while they travelled rapidly at night and midday when prey may be difficult to detect and access. Such behavioural adjustments correspond to a movement strategy adopted by avian deep divers to travel long distances while feeding on prey exhibiting diel vertical migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared to other animal movements, prospecting by adult individuals for a future breeding site is commonly overlooked. Prospecting influences the decision of where to breed and has consequences on fitness and lifetime reproductive success. By analysing movements of 31 satellite- and GPS-tracked gull and tern populations belonging to 14 species in Europe and North America, we examined the occurrence and factors explaining prospecting by actively breeding birds. Prospecting in active breeders occurred in 85.7% of studied species, across 61.3% of sampled populations. Prospecting was more common in populations with frequent inter-annual changes of breeding sites and among females. These results contradict theoretical models which predict that prospecting is expected to evolve in relatively predictable and stable environments. More long-term tracking studies are needed to identify factors affecting patterns of prospecting in different environments and understand the consequences of prospecting on fitness at the individual and population level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few information is available on fin marks and movements of Mediterranean bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus (Montagu, 1821), along the Italian coast, although significant photo-identification efforts took place in several areas. In this study, photographic data (833 images) of 370 dolphins collected by different organizations from 2003 to 2018 across six different areas in Sicily (Southern Italy) were compared. A software was used to measure angles with notches and Dorsal Fin Ratio of dorsal fins. Only 8 matches were identified between neighbouring areas along the south-western coast of Sicily. Additionally, 2 matches were found between the Aeolian Archipelago and the Strait of Messina. A different distribution of the fin mark pattern among dolphins from distinct areas was identified, suggesting different ecological conditions, levels of social interactions and threats. These results support the hypothesis that Mediterranean bottlenose dolphins tend to aggregate primarily with individuals coming from the same sub-area and only few animals roam widely, connecting with different groups in distant areas. The few matches and the distinct fin mark patterns found in this study suggest that fragmented bottlenose dolphin communities might face high risk for their survival due to low movements and local anthropogenic threats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While education for democracy has been heavily influenced by the deliberative perspective on democracy, a recent turn towards an agonistic perspective on democracy places a great deal of faith in the role of political emotion and conflict. Educational scholars have mostly interpreted agonism in relation to the emotional and conflictual experiences that occur within school. Some scholars draw general pedagogical insights from this perspective, while others use it to propose conflictual approaches to classroom discussions. Overestimating, however, the extent to which experiences of agonism within school applies to politically experienced agonisms beyond the school, is problematic. Such overestimations undermine the core political insights of agonistic theory, concerning the democratic potential of radical collective movements. Agonistic theory acknowledges the psychological need among disgruntled citizens for radical alternatives enabling them to oppose and rearticulate the established power dynamics in society. The purpose of agonistic democracy is to enable rearticulations of hegemony through the institutions of representative democracy, rather than as opposed to them. Important for this paper, however, is the argument that such rearticulations depend on the rhetorical force of collective movements. Emphasizing that we cannot assume the presence of such movements in everyday school life, the paper revisits the following question: What are the didactical implications of an agonistic perspective on democracy? The democratic potential of collective movements is not easily captured through experiences within the pedagogical context alone, but proposals are made as to how this potential can be grasped in other ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The federally threatened American burying beetle, Nicrophorus americanus previously occurred throughout much of eastern North America but now is self-sustaining only on an eastern island and along the western edge of the historic range. The beetle occurred on landscapes managed by Weyerhaeuser Company for timber production, providing an opportunity to evaluate possible effects of silvicultural practices on the species. For 1997–2007, fluctuating densities were low on these lands in southeastern Oklahoma and southwestern Arkansas. We recaptured 23.0% of individuals (all within same year), 27.4% of those at different sites (1.40 km mean distance moved; longest 4.25 km). Comparable surveys at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas (185 km north) and Camp Gruber, Oklahoma (209 km north-northwest) during 1998–2004 demonstrated for Weyerhaeuser-Chaffee near-perfect correspondence in beetle densities expressed as percentage change from previous year but no relationship for Weyerhaeuser-Gruber. The species regionally may be bivoltine with Weyerhaeuser and Chaffee sampled in the second generation and Gruber in the first. The close Weyerhaeuser-Chaffee association indicates numbers were influenced substantially by non-local factors, although given the data in hand we were unable to demonstrate association of climatic factors with beetle relative densities or density changes. No clear-cutting effect on beetle densities was demonstrated. Increases occurred 2 years after a partial cut compared to the prior year. Beetles used pole (13–29 years old) and mature (30–50) sites less often than expected and sapling (5–12) and delayed-harvest (> 50) sites more frequently. For delayed-harvest sites, beetles frequented hardwood (≥ 75% hardwood) less than pine (≥ 75%) or mixed hardwood-pine sites. There were differences relative to stand age and type, but large-scale regional factors probably influenced numbers more than silvicultural practices. Low numbers in southeastern Oklahoma, coupled with substantial year-to-year fluctuations, elevated extirpation risk. Extirpation in the study area likely occurred in 2006 or shortly thereafter, possibly influenced by increases in red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta. Implications for insect conservation: Our study highlights that multiple factors influence numbers of the American burying beetle. Our findings suggest it would be fruitful for investigators to devote further attention to broader regional factors that affect year-to-year variation in such numbers. Silvicultural practices can affect beetle numbers in positive or negative ways, influences that fluctuate through the various stages involved in managing forested landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why do some urban governing regimes realize a more equal distribution of public goods than others? Local government interventions in São Paulo, Brazil, have produced surprisingly effective redistribution of residential public goods — housing and sanitation — between 1989 and 2016. I use original interviews and archival research for a comparative-historical analysis of variation across time in São Paulo's governance of housing and sanitation. I argue that sequential configurations of a) "embeddedness" of the local state in civil society and b) the "cohesion" of the institutional sphere of the local state, explain why and when urban governing regimes generate the coordinating capacity to distribute public goods on a programmatic basis. I further illustrate how these configurations can explain variation in urban governing regimes across the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) is a small estuarine turtle distributed along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the USA that is threatened by drowning in crab pots, road mortality, exploitation in the pet trade, and habitat loss. Little is known about the movement patterns and home ranges of these turtles, particularly along the U.S. Gulf of Mexico coast. Satellite tags were deployed on two adult female terrapins captured at two distinct sites in Northwest Florida. A first-difference correlated random walk approach was used to determine distances traveled and estimate home range for each individual. The two terrapins were tracked for 146 and 147 days, and the total distance traveled for each terrapin was 70.1 km and 723.0 km, respectively. The maximum distance moved from capture location was 11.3 km and 49.6 km. Home ranges here were much larger than those previously reported in other studies. The movements we documented were greater than expected and indicate habitat protection for this species may need to be expanded to incorporate more distant foraging sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The perceptual and motor systems appear to have a set of movement primitives that exhibit certain geometric and kinematic invariances. Complex patterns and mental representations can be produced by (re)combining some simple motor elements in various ways using basic operations, transformations, and respecting a set of laws referred to as kinematic laws of motion. For example, point-to-point hand movements are characterized by straight hand paths with single-peaked-bell-shaped velocity profiles, whereas hand speed profiles for curved trajectories are often irregular and more variable, with speed valleys and inflections extrema occurring at the peak curvature. Curvature and speed are generically related by the 2/3 power law. Mathematically, such laws can be deduced from a combination of Euclidean, affine, and equi-affine geometries, whose neural correlates have been partially detected in various brain areas including the cerebellum and the basal ganglia. The cerebellum has been found to play an important role in the control of coordination, balance, posture, and timing over the past years. It is also assumed that the cerebellum computes forward internal models in relationship with specific cortical and subcortical brain regions but its motor relationship with the perceptual space is unclear. A renewed interest in the geometrical and spatial role of the cerebellum may enable a better understanding of its specific contribution to the action-perception loop and behavior’s adaptation. In this sense, we complete this overview with an innovative theoretical framework that describes a possible implementation and selection by the cerebellum of geometries adhering to different mathematical laws. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis) likely migrates from the southwestern USA and northern Mexico to the south of Mexico to spend the winter in the Cueva San Francisco (CSF), which is the southernmost known roost of the species. In this study, we examined colony size and composition of the free-tailed bats at the CSF for two annual cycles to know if these parameters fluctuate throughout the year and whether these fluctuations indicate that the CSF is a winter roost. From February 2018 to November 2019, we conducted monthly observations and captured bats with a mist net of 12 × 2.6 m to determine sex, age, reproductive status, and relative abundance. The duration of the emergence flight (DEF) was also recorded. We detected significant fluctuations in colony size that were caused by the movement of pregnant females in spring, lactating and post-lactating females and males in summer, and by females and males in autumn and winter. The CSF was occupied all year-round by females and males. Our results indicate that the cave is a winter roost for females and males, a transitional roost for pregnant females that form their maternity colony elsewhere in summer, and a temporary roost for males in summer. We suggest that the CSF is crucial for the conservation of the free-tailed bat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motor rehabilitation can be considered as a learning process in which lost skills should be restored, and new ones should be acquired on the basis of physical training. But is exercise always necessary to achieve these goals? Many authors have shown that motor imagery and observation lead to the activation of the same brain areas as their physical counterparts, and that they can cause the same plastic changes in the motor system as real physical training. The review presents data on the use of motor imagery and observation as a substitute for physical action in motor rehabilitation, on the community of their neural substrates, as well as on the behavioral and neurophysiological use of these methods in healthy people and in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In species with explosive breeding strategies, large numbers of individuals may congregate at a defined location for a very short period of time. Effective synchronisation in arrival at breeding sites is crucial to ensure mating success. Amphibians with explosive breeding strategies often congregate at ponds for only a few days or weeks a year. Previous research has shown that frogs and toads may use a variety of exogenous cues to initiate breeding migrations which include temperature, rainfall and lunar cues. Although the effects of temperature and rainfall on amphibians are widely studied and understood, the impacts of lunar phase are poorly known and vary by species and location. In this study, we examined the effects of lunar phase on the numbers of common toads (Bufo bufo) and common frogs (Rana temporaria) migrating to breeding ponds at 43 sites across the UK over 4 years. Our findings show that peak migration of both common toads and common frogs coincides with the waxing phase of the moon, peaking around the full moon. Temperature and rainfall also had an effect on peak migrations with the highest numbers of common toads and common frogs occurring on warm and damp evenings close to a full moon. Our results have implications for amphibian conservation initiatives such as ‘Toads on Roads’ as they will help inform conservationists on the most effective timing to help toads and frogs across roads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-fives are a phenomenon that is frequently observed in sports. However, investigations on effects of high-fives are missing. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine psychophysiological effects of high-fives. From an embodied cognition perspective, dynamic, upward movements compared to downward movements should activate positive concepts that are represented by psychological as well as physiological states. Thirty-four athletes performed high- and low-fives (dynamic movements) as opposed to high and low static postures (control conditions) in a double-blind, within-subject design. Psychological states (i.e., feeling motivated, feeling strong) and physiological changes (i.e., cortisol, testosterone) due to the manipulation were measured. Results showed the predicted significant interaction effect for cortisol changes, but not for the other psychological (i.e., feeling motivated, feeling strong) and physiological (testosterone) state measures. In detail, a decrease in cortisol was found after athletes performed high-fives compared to low-fives. The observed effect on cortisol should be considered with caution and needs to be replicated, however, might add information to the current discussion about the crucial relevance of movement for embodied cognition effects. Future research could investigate the effects of high-fives with a partner and add performance parameters to provide more information on the effects of high-fives on performance in sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The article presents the results from a static part of the load test for the Zglavje viaduct, located on the motorway A1 in Slovenia and the feasible usage of modern geodetic instruments for determination of dynamic response of a structure. Therefore, static analysis was employed for comparison of the implemented methods by which vertical displacements were measured and compared to a calculated displacement. High agreement of the results was established. In addition, experimental part of the geodetic non-contact methods to determine dynamic response of the structure was implemented on the railway bridge across the Mura river on the railway line Ormož–Hodoš in Slovenia. Geodetic non-contact methods are evidently more and more applicable at determination of dynamic response for their technologic development in the area of speed and constant data capturing. Our results were provided by employing the Robotic Total Station (RTS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional (3D) printing has recently been developed as a resource for teaching human anatomy through the accurate reproduction of anatomical specimens. Using a composite 3D printed model with the incorporation of metal and magnets, we were able to demonstrate and analyse movements at the midcarpal joint during the 'dart thrower's motion', which is an important motion in daily activities involving the use of the hand. The hand component with the distal row of carpal bones was subjected to flexion and extension at the midcarpal joint and observed for simultaneous abduction/adduction. Notable adduction was observed in the flexed position as compared to the extended position. Moreover, while the primary movements at the midcarpal joint were taking place in the medial part of the joint, the lateral part of the joint (which is ellipsoid) served to accommodate the arc of movement. We suggest that such composite 3D printed models are useful teaching tools for enhancing the understanding of complex joint movements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We document and evaluate the use of metapopulation management to conserve a declining population of 217 cheetahs in 40 subpopulations. Metapopulation management resembles a natural metapopulation, but dispersal success, demographic rescue effects and genetic viability are enhanced by moving suitable individuals to selected habitat fragments. Unfortunately, history and results of metapopulation management are rarely published. Cheetahs, extirpated from 85% of South Africa, were reintroduced from Namibian and South African ranches into fenced reserves. During 1965-2009 343 cheetahs were reintroduced, yet reserves held only 289 in 2009. Then translocations of free-roaming cheetahs were halted, and numbers dropped to 217 on 40 reserves by 2012. A metapopulation project was launched, and key conservation problems indentified from interviews and records. Thirty-five percent of reserves had no breeding cheetahs, 13% were inbreeding, fence quality was erratic, 3% of cheetahs were sold into captivity annually, and 28% of cheetah mortalities were anthropogenic. Lions accounted for 31% of mortality, perhaps elevated by lion-inexperienced cheetahs and high lion densities. These problems were addressed, and cheetahs were translocated between reserves. Although the median reserve size was only 125 km2 holding four cheetahs, and 80% of reserves were privately owned, in 6 years the metapopulation grew by 51% to 328 cheetahs on 51 reserves, while genetic diversity was managed and monitored. Thus, using metapopulation management, low density species and associated key processes, including carnivory or mega-herbivory, can be conserved in relatively small reserves in regions with dense human populations precluding  natural gene flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This magnetoencephalography (MEG) study aims at characterizing the coupling between cerebellar activity and the kinematics of repetitive self-paced finger movements. Neuromagnetic signals were recorded in 11 right-handed healthy adults while they performed repetitive flexion-extensions of right-hand fingers at three different movement rates: slow (~ 1 Hz), medium (~ 2 Hz), and fast (~ 3 Hz). Right index finger acceleration was monitored with an accelerometer. Coherence analysis was used to index the coupling between right index finger acceleration and neuromagnetic signals. Dynamic imaging of coherent sources was used to locate coherent sources. Coupling directionality between primary sensorimotor (SM1), cerebellar, and accelerometer signals was assessed with renormalized partial directed coherence. Permutation-based statistics coupled with maximum statistic over the entire brain volume or restricted to the cerebellum were used. At all movement rates, maximum coherence peaked at SM1 cortex contralateral to finger movements at movement frequency (F0) and its first harmonic (F1). Significant (statistics restricted to the cerebellum) coherence consistently peaked at the right posterior lobe of the cerebellum at F0 with no influence of movement rate. Coupling between Acc and cerebellar signals was significantly stronger in the afferent than in the efferent direction with no effective contribution of cortico-cerebellar or cerebello-cortical pathways. This study demonstrates the existence of significant coupling between finger movement kinematics and neuromagnetic activity at the posterior cerebellar lobe ipsilateral to finger movement at F0. This coupling is mainly driven by spinocerebellar, presumably proprioceptive, afferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Daily and seasonal cyclicity, directivity, and area of the fish migration in the main ecological zones of Lake Glubokoe have been revealed with the help of hydroacoustic complexes. Mass appearance of fish in the epipelagial and profundal of the water body is observed at dusk and at night, and they return to the littoral and sublittoral with the dawn. In the summer, vertical migrations of fish occur mainly in the near-surface layers of the water column, and the fish also occupy the profundal in late autumn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the frequency and amplitude properties of the EEG μ rhythm in children ( n = 38) aged 4-14 years under the condition of visual fixation (VF) on a video image of a computer mouse, as well as the parameters of its desynchronization during the tasks involving self-controlled performance, observation, imitation, and auditory recognition of the hand circular movements (SPM, OM, IM, and ARM, respectively) with a computer mouse. We observed age-related increment in the modal frequency of μ rhythm in loci C and C . During the SPM process, a significant decrease in the amplitude of μ rhythm was found in loci C (26.7%) and C (10.3%); during the OM, in locus C only (9.9%). The effects of the μ rhythm desynchronization during both self-paced and observed movements might be an evidence of well-developed neural matching mechanisms that provide the processes of performing and observing similar actions in children aged 4 to 14 years. During the IM, the desynchronization of μ rhythm was significant in loci C (27.4%) and C (15.3%). We hypothesize that the statistically significant increase (from SPM to IM) in the depression of μ rhythm in locus C is likely to be an effect of a social gaming context common for the situations when children imitate the movements of adults. The index of desynchronization of μ rhythm under the studied conditions did not depend on the age of children. Possible relations of identified modulations of the μ rhythm to the activity of the mirror neuron system were also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many years after its initial description, paratonia remains a poorly understood concept. It is described as the inability to relax muscles during muscle tone assessment with the subject involuntary facilitating or opposing the examiner. Although related to cognitive impairment and frontal lobe function, the underlying mechanisms have not been clarified. Moreover, criteria to distinguish oppositional paratonia from parkinsonian rigidity or spasticity are not yet available. Paratonia is very frequently encountered in clinical practice and only semi-quantitative rating scales are available. The purpose of this study is to assess the feasibility of a quantitative measure of paratonia using surface electromyography. Paratonia was elicited by performing consecutive metronome-synchronized continuous and discontinuous elbow movements in a group of paratonic patients with cognitive impairment. Goniometric and electromyographic recordings were performed on biceps and triceps brachii muscles. Facilitatory (mitgehen) and oppositional (gegenhalten) paratonia could be recorded on both muscles. After normalization with voluntary maximal contraction, biceps showed higher paratonia than triceps. Facilitatory paratonia was higher than oppositional on the biceps. Movement repetition induced increased paratonic burst amplitude only when flexion and extension movements were performed continuously. Both facilitatory and oppositional paratonia increased with movement repetition. Only oppositional paratonia increased following faster movements. This is the first study providing a quantitative and objective characterization of paratonia using electromyography. Unlike parkinsonian rigidity, oppositional paratonia increases with velocity and with consecutive movement repetition. Like spasticity, oppositional paratonia is velocity-dependent, but different from spasticity, it increases during movement repetition instead of decreasing. A quantitative measure of paratonia could help better understanding its pathophysiology and could be used for research purposes on cognitive impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental factorial approach, in terms of habitat use and movements by Atlantic salmon parr ( Salmo salar), was studied in response to induced peaking flow in a bypass river section in southern Norway. Sixteen radio-tagged salmon parr (mean TL 12.9 ± 0.8 cm) were tracked during a 7-day spring period with manipulations of flow. Total habitat availability was modeled and integrated with fish locations. Parr movements exhibited a wide individual variation in movement behavior with a subsequent large home range which indicated nonrandom patterns involving three types of behavioral response groups: I parr that did not move during experiments; II parr that used a defined area in the stream moving in all directions; and III parr that moved, i.e., traveled longer distances. Movement distances were strongly skewed towards many short (i.e., I and II) and few but long movements mainly on downstream direction (i.e., III). However, flow alterations clearly affected salmon parr movements, which were also significantly related with alterations of discharge and diel variations. As may be expected, parr movements were also positively related to habitat shifts. In conclusion, flow alterations and reduced light may increase Atlantic salmon parr movements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of poorly sited wind farms raises concerns for wildlife, including birds of prey. Therefore, there is a need to extend the knowledge of the potential human-wildlife conflicts associated with wind energy. Here, we report on the movements and habitat use of post-fledging satellite-tagged white-tailed eagles in Finland, where wind-energy development is expected to increase in the near future. In particular, we examine the probability of a fledgling approaching a hypothetical turbine that is placed at different distances from the nest. We found that this probability is high at short distances but considerably decreases with increasing distances to the nest. A utilisation-availability analysis showed that the coast was the preferred habitat. We argue that avoiding construction between active nests and the shoreline, as well as adopting the currently 2-km buffer zone for turbine deployment, can avoid or minimise potential impacts on post-fledging white-tailed eagles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological traits (distribution, reproduction, age composition, body length and weight) of pikeperch Sander lucioperca from channel parts of the Akhtuba River, remote from the Volga Delta, are investigated. In the investigated stretch of the river, movements of most specimens of pikeperch are local and occur in the deep part (4−10 m) of the channel. Aggregations of fish are not confined to any definite points but move along the extensive stretch of broads. Pikeperch prefer near-bottom biotopes confined to the zone of stable hydrodynamic eddies in places of complicated bottom relief-transverse crests and longitudinal channel crests. For the first time, it is found that pikeperch in the under-ice period move to the shallow zone of submersed inshore shrubs. The age structure and body length and weight of pikeperch differ from those in the Volga Delta and correspond more to the populations from northern and northwestern parts of the species area. Pikeperch spawn only in temporary water bodies of the accessory system, within a short period at the temperature 11−17°С. The data on biology of pikeperch from the Akhtuba channel indicate the populational level of differences from the Volga Delta pikeperch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aim: Although upper limb movements in the vertical plane are very commonly used during the activities of daily life, there is still a lack of a reliable and easy standardized procedure to quantify them. In particular, ageing is associated with a decline in performances of coordinated movements, but a tool to quantify this decline is missing. Methods: We created a novel portable test called counting arm movement test (CAM test). Participants were asked to perform fast and accurate successive pointing movements towards two fixed targets (mechanical counters) located in a vertical plane in the parasagittal axis during three different time periods (15, 30, 45 s). Each upper limb was assessed separately. The test was evaluated in a group of 63 healthy subjects (mean age ± SD 49.1 ± 19.8 years; F/M 33/30; range 18-87 years). Results: Motor performances (number of clicks) significantly decreased as a function of age for both the dominant side (age effect; linear regression; p < 0.0001 for 15, 30 and 45 s) and the non-dominant side (linear regression; p < 0.0001 for 15, 30 and 45 s). Performances on the dominant and non-dominant side were linearly correlated with the time periods ( p < 0.0001 on both sides). The symmetry index (ratio of performance on the dominant side divided by performance on the non-dominant side) was correlated linearly and positively with the duration of the test ( y = 0.002 x + 1.053; p = 0.0056). We also found a linear relationship between upper limb length and motor performance on the non-dominant side for 15 s ( p = 0.023) and 45 s ( p = 0.041). The test was characterized by a very high correlation between the results obtained by two investigators during two successive sessions in a subgroup of 7 subjects (Pearson product moment correlation: 0.989 for the dominant side and 0.988 for the non-dominant side). Conclusion: The CAM test appears as a robust and low cost tool to quantify upper limb pointing movements. In particular, the test strongly discriminates the effects of age upon motor performances in upper limbs. Future studies are now required to establish the sensitivity, specificity and reliability of this procedure in selected neuromuscular or skeletal diseases affecting the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Antarctic toothfish ( Dissostichus mawsoni, Norman) is a large notothenioid fish that supports valuable fisheries around the Antarctic continent. The Ross Sea fishery, which started in 1997, is managed by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). Whilst a large amount of research into the biology of this species has been carried out over the past decade, much of this work has been presented in CCAMLR working group papers and has not been published in the primary literature. In this paper, we bring together and summarise the extensive published and unpublished literature on the biology and ecology of Antarctic toothfish in the Ross Sea region including distribution, stock structure, reproduction, age and growth, and trophic ecology in a single document for the first time. We also review and further develop testable hypotheses surrounding its life cycle and identify gaps in our knowledge including spawning behaviour and early life history which need to be addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abundance, distribution, movement patterns, and habitat selection of a reservoir species influence the dispersal of zoonotic pathogens, and hence, the risk for humans. Movements and microhabitat use of rodent species, and their potential role in the transmission of hantavirus were studied in Otamendi Natural Reserve, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Movement estimators and qualitative characteristics of rodent paths were determined by means of a spool and line device method. Sampling was conducted during November and December 2011, and March, April, June, October, and December 2012. Forty-six Oxymycterus rufus, 41 Akodon azarae, 10 Scapteromys aquaticus and 5 Oligoryzomys flavescens were captured. Movement patterns and distances varied according to sex, habitat type, reproductive season, and body size among species. O. flavescens, reservoir of the etiologic agent of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in the region, moved short distances, had the most linear paths and did not share paths with other species. A. azarae had an intermediate linearity index, its movements were longer in the highland grassland than in the lowland marsh and the salty grassland, and larger individuals traveled longer distances. O. rufus had the most tortuous paths and the males moved more during the non-breeding season. S. aquaticus movements were associated with habitat type with longer distances traveled in the lowland marsh than in the salty grassland. Hantavirus antibodies were detected in 20% of A. azarae and were not detected in any other species. Seropositive individuals were captured during the breeding season and 85% of them were males. A. azarae moved randomly and shared paths with all the other species, which could promote hantavirus spillover events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Space use and movement patterns are largely influenced by an animal's size, habitat connectivity, reproductive mode, and foraging behaviours; and are important in defining the broader population biology and ecology of an organism. Acoustic telemetry was used to investigate the home range, habitat use and relative movement patterns of an estuarine dependant sparid ( Acanthopagrus australis, Günther). Ten fish were internally tagged with acoustic transmitters and manually tracked in a riverine estuary for four, 3-day periods. Positional data was converted into a relative index of fish movement (Minimum Activity Index, MAI), and also used to estimate kernel density distributions which approximated areas of core and total space use for each fish. Space use for A. australis was not related to fish size; although movement of each fish ( MAI) increased with fish length and a reduction in water conductivity. The distance between tagged fish and mangrove habitat was correlated with time-of-day and tide level with yellowfin bream moving closer to mangroves during the daytime and on high tides. Fish movements, residency and site fidelity revealed the nature of decision-making for fish, and the conservation value of small patches of estuarine habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Survival, reproductive and recruitment rates, along with health status, of translocated and resident individuals should be evaluated. However, gathering this information poses logistical constraints and requires long-term studies. Considering the urgent nature of many species' situations where translocation would be appropriate, fast-assessment techniques should be tested. We assessed the immediate response to translocation of Hermann's tortoises ( Testudo hermanni hermanni) directly from captivity to the wild. Individuals were maintained in captivity 2 to 8 years before being released in spring 2013 into a natural population impacted by fire. During the critical 3 months post-release period, we radio-tracked translocated individuals ( N = 12) and resident tortoises in spring 2013 ( N = 14), plus another batch of resident tortoises in spring 2012 ( N = 9). Movements, behaviours, body condition and body temperature were regularly recorded. All translocated tortoises acclimated well to their novel environment. We found no differences in movement, thermoregulation and body condition between translocated and resident tortoises. Body condition of all tortoises increased rapidly in spring. We found no sign of perturbation in resident tortoises. Contrarily, resident males mated with translocated females. Translocations should be further tested on larger spatial and time scales to improve population restoration programmes, especially in threatened species with limited dispersal ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of tracking devices to monitor the movements of parrots can benefit conservation and management efforts in species for which there is scant information on their habitat use and distribution. Before such studies can proceed, there is a clear need to assess the efficacy of tag attachment so as not to create welfare issues for the target individuals or negate the scientific value of subsequent tracking results. We developed a harness and trialled it as a method of attaching 5-g non-operational satellite tags to captive Princess Parrots Polytelis alexandrae. The influence of the harness package on the parrots' activity budgets and body mass was investigated, and comparisons were made with control individuals not fitted with harness packages. The attachment of harness packages led to an initial increase in preening rates at the expense of resting and foraging behaviour, but did not affect the duration of eating and drinking behaviours. Despite an initial difference between the behaviours of tagged parrots and control parrots, after 3 weeks the rates of behaviour of tagged parrots matched those of the controls, suggesting they were more accepting of the harness and satellite tag by this time. The harness package had no effect on body mass; a similar pattern was observed for mean weight change per fortnight between tagged and control parrots. Three-quarters of all harness packages were worn by the tagged parrots for the full captive trial (98 days) without harness damage. The harness design tested here is likely transferable to other bird species that display similar structure and wing-loadings, and as such is a valuable contribution to avian tracking studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between predators and prey is thought to change due to habitat loss and fragmentation, but patterns regarding the direction of the effect are lacking. The common prediction is that specialized predators, often more dependent on a certain habitat type, should be more vulnerable to habitat loss compared to generalist predators, but actual fragmentation effects are unknown. If a predator is small and vulnerable to predation by other larger predators through intra-guild predation, habitat fragmentation will similarly affect both the prey and the small predator. In this case, the predator is predicted to behave similarly to the prey and avoid open and risky areas. We studied a specialist predator’s, the least weasel, Mustela nivalis nivalis, spacing behavior and hunting efficiency on bank voles, Myodes glareolus, in an experimentally fragmented habitat. The habitat consisted of either one large habitat patch (non-fragmented) or four small habitat patches (fragmented) with the same total area. The study was replicated in summer and autumn during a year with high avian predation risk for both voles and weasels. As predicted, weasels under radio-surveillance killed more voles in the non-fragmented habitat which also provided cover from avian predators during their prey search. However, this was only during autumn, when the killing rate was also generally high due to cold weather. The movement areas were the same for both sexes and both fragmentation treatments, but weasels of both sexes were more prone to take risks in crossing the open matrix in the fragmented treatment. Our results support the hypothesis that habitat fragmentation may increase the persistence of specialist predator and prey populations if predators are limited in the same habitat as their prey and they share the same risk from avian predation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding wildlife movements and habitat selection are critical to drafting conservation and management plans. We studied a population of eastern Hermann's tortoise ( Testudo hermanni boettgeri) in a traditionally managed rural landscape in Romania, near the northern edge of the species geographic distribution. We used telemetry to radio-track 24 individuals between 2005 and 2008 and performed a Euclidian distance-based habitat selection analysis to investigate habitats preferred by tortoises at both landscapes (second-order order selection) and individual (third-order selection) home range scales. The home range size for tortoises in our study area was 3.79 ± 0.62 ha and did not differ by gender or season (pre- and post-nesting seasons). Their movement ecology was characterized by short-distance movements (daily mean = 31.18 ± 1.59 m), apparently unaffected by habitat type. In contrast to other studies, movements of males and females were of similar magnitude. At the landscape (population home range) scale, grasslands and shrubs were preferred, but tortoises also showed affinity to forest edges. At the individual home range scale, tortoises selected grassland and shrub habitats, avoided forests, and used forest edges randomly. Creeks were avoided at both spatial scales. Our results suggest that tortoise home ranges contain well-defined associations of habitats despite a higher selection for grasslands. As such, avoiding land conversion to other uses and maintaining habitat heterogeneity through traditional practices (e.g., manual mowing of grasslands, livestock grazing) are critical for the persistence of tortoise populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined connectivity among marsh subhabitats to determine the structural limits and important components of a polyhaline salt marsh by studying the patterns of abundance, residency, and movement of a numerically and ecologically dominant nektonic fish (mummichog, Fundulus heteroclitus). We captured, tagged ( n = 14,040 individuals, 30-110 mm), and recaptured from Feb 2001 to Jul 2002, although most recaptures (75-95% by tagging location) occurred within 150 days. Seasonal residency and movements were common among most subhabitats based on catch per unit effort and recapture per unit effort. Thus, these (marsh pools, intertidal and subtidal creeks, and marsh surface) should be considered natural subhabitats within New England type salt marshes. Further, all these subhabitat types should be included in studies of salt marsh nekton and marsh restoration and creation activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat partitioning by adult and subadult ringed seals ( Phoca hispida) is poorly understood. Conclusions about displacement of subadult seals to suboptimal offshore habitat are largely based on nearshore observations as few satellite tagging studies include data from winter months. In this study, movement patterns of 14 subadult and 11 adult ringed seals were monitored in the Bering and Chukchi seas using satellite-linked telemetry. Seals were captured in Kotzebue Sound, Alaska, during October 2007 and 2008 and tracked for 17-297 days. Subadult ringed seals traveled south from the Chukchi Sea into the Bering Sea ( $$ \bar{x} $$ = 36 km/day) as sea ice coverage increased during November and December, remained ~1,000 km south near the ice edge during winter and returned north in the spring with the receding ice edge. Adults remained in the Chukchi and northern Bering seas, where their movements were more localized ( $$ \bar{x} $$ = 22 km/day). Adults were on average 322 km farther from the ice edge and 48 km closer to land and shorefast ice than were subadults. During winter, adult ringed seals construct and maintain breathing holes through the ice, and in spring, females give birth in subnivean lairs, mostly in shorefast ice; adult males defend breeding territories around those lairs. Our results show that subadult ringed seals, unconstrained by the need to maintain territories that contain stable breeding/pupping habitat, moved south to the Bering Sea ice edge, where there are better feeding opportunities, lower energetic costs (no breathing hole maintenance), and less exposure to predation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Which people, events, movements, institutions, and documents in the history of humankind have contributed most to the possible realization of a future utopia (i.e., a time when the Golden Rule is universally lived by)? This study consisted of two phases. The first phase involved generating nominated lists from over 100 graduate students and professionals in a variety of fields. In the second phase, the two resultant lists of 155 people and 122 events, movements, institutions, and documents were sent to a randomly-selected list of 400 tenured and tenure-track history and philosophy professors at 40 randomly-selected public Research 1 universities. These professors were asked to select who and what would be on their 'A' lists. The most frequently-selected people included Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Buddha. The most-frequently selected events, movements, institutions, and documents included: the Abolitionist movement, the American Bill of Rights, and the Abolishment of Apartheid in South Africa. The lists are presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of bodily movements in the production and perception of communicative actions has been shown for the spoken language modality and accounted for by a theory of communicative actions (Cogn. Process. 2010;11:187-205). In this study, the theory of communicative actions was adapted to the sign language modality; we tested the hypothesis that in the fluent production of short sign language sentences, strong-hand manual sign actions are continuously ongoing without holds, while co-manual oral expression actions (i.e. sign-related actions of the lips, jaw, and tip of the tongue) and co-manual facial expression actions (i.e. actions of the eyebrows, eyelids, etc.), as well as weak-hand actions, show considerable holds. An American Sign Language (ASL) corpus of 100 sentences was analyzed by visually inspecting each frame-to-frame difference (30 frames/s) for separating movement and hold phases for each manual, oral, and facial action. Excluding fingerspelling and signs in sentence-final position, no manual holds were found for the strong hand (0%; the weak hand is not considered), while oral holds occurred in 22% of all oral expression actions and facial holds occurred for all facial expression actions analyzed (100%). These results support the idea that in each language modality, the dominant articulatory system (vocal tract or manual system) determines the timing of actions. In signed languages, in which manual actions are dominant, holds occur mainly in co-manual oral and co-manual facial actions. Conversely, in spoken language, vocal tract actions (i.e. actions of the lips, tongue, jaw, velum, and vocal folds) are dominant; holds occur primarily in co-verbal manual and co-verbal facial actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inorganic fluoride concentrations in aquatic ecosystems have been significantly increased by several human activities during the last decades. However, there is still relatively scarce information about its toxicity to freshwater animals, especially at long-term exposures. The aim of our study is to assess the short-term (4 days) and long-term (28 days) fluoride (F) toxicity to the aquatic snail Potamopyrgus antipodarum on the basis of several endpoints, including survival, reproduction (number of newborn and embryos) and behaviour (time to start movement). One control and five actual fluoride concentrations were used in triplicate (49.2, 47.0, 122.5, 194.6 and 281.4 mg F/L) for the short-term (4 days) bioassay. LC50 value at 96 h was 58.5 mg F/L, which is a relatively high value in comparison with previous published data on freshwater invertebrates. One control and three actual fluoride concentrations were used in quadruplicate (4.6, 9.5 and 16.2 mg F/L) for the long-term (28 days) bioassay. None of the fluoride treatments increased mortality in comparison to control after 28 days of continuous exposure. Fluoride reduced the mean total and alive number of newborns per surviving adult after 28 days of exposure (at mean concentrations of 9.5 and 16.2 mg F/L) respect to control. The number of embryos with shell was reduced by the highest concentration (16.2 mg F/L). The behavioural activity (e.g. time to start normal movement) was affected by the highest fluoride concentration during the long-term bioassay. Our results show that fluoride is toxic at short- and long-term exposures, causing mortality (at short term) and affecting reproduction and behaviour (at long term). Additionally, field fluoride levels, corresponding to test fluoride concentrations (mean values ranged from 4.6 to 16.2 mg F/L) have been found in fluoride-polluted ecosystems, either by natural or anthropogenic causes. Therefore, fluoride pollution may potentially affect natural population of invertebrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While bottlenose dolphins in Mediterranean waters often display a high degree of site fidelity, movements across distant areas can occur. Such movements have important implications in terms of population viability, particularly in basins with low bottlenose dolphin densities. We report movements of nine individuals photo-identified up to 265 km apart in western Greece. Four showed a certain degree of site fidelity to one area across several years, but were also found elsewhere, with two individuals moving between two areas. This study provides further evidence that animals appearing to be 'resident' within a given area can temporarily leave and range widely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: To understand the activity and movement patterns of Leopardus geoffroyi, we compared its behavior by radio-tracking 10 individuals in two areas of the Pampas grassland of Argentina: Campos del Tuyú Wildlife Reserve (CdT; 2F, 2M, n =1753activity fixes), and Ernesto Tornquist Provincial Park (ETPP; 4F, 2M, n =1700fixes), an area more strongly affected by human activities. The proportion of active fixes varied between areas and ranged from 38.4±4.4% at CdT to 42.9±8.1% at ETPP. In both areas, L. geoffroyi was mainly nocturnal, with maximum activity at 1:00h (70.9%) at CdT and 4:00h (75.6%) at ETPP. Activity patterns were highly correlated between areas and, within each area, between sexes, possibly in relation to the nocturnal activity of its major prey. Seasonal variations were detected, with the least diurnal and nocturnal activity in spring. In both study areas, Geoffroy''s cats presented variations in the amount of nocturnal activity corresponding to differences in nocturnal luminosity. However, these variations were different: cats were most active when the night was brighter at CdT, whereas at ETPP activity was lower in brighter nights. At CdT, the linear distance of movement between locations averaged 685.8±496.8m and males moved 1.4 times farther than females. This distance was shorter at CdT than ETPP (1087.9±932.8m), where males had movements 4.5 times greater than females. The mean speed of travel did not differ between areas (CdT: 0.44±0.45km/h; ETPP: 0.44±0.78km/h), but males tended to move faster than females. In the grasslands of Argentina, human disturbance did not affect the patterns of activity of L. geoffroyi but cats appeared to be forced to spend more time active and move over greater distances in the more disturbed area. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

n essential key to explaining the mechanistic basis of ecological patterns lies in understanding the consequences of adaptive behavior for distributions and abundances of organisms. We developed a model that simultaneously incorporates (a) ecological dynamics across three trophic levels and (b) evolution of behaviors via the processes of mutation, selection, and drift in populations of variable, unique individuals. Using this model to study adaptive movements of predators and prey in a spatially explicit environment produced a number of unexpected results. First, even though predators and prey had limited information and sometimes moved in the 'wrong' direction, evolved movement mechanisms allowed them to achieve average spatial distributions approximating optimal, ideal free distributions. Second, predators' demographic parameters had marked, nonlinear effects on the evolution of movement mechanisms in the prey: As the predator mortality rate was increased past a critical point, prey abruptly shifted from making very frequent movements away from predators to making infrequent movements mainly in response to resources. Third, time series analyses revealed that adaptive, conditional movements coupled ecological dynamics across species and space. Our results provide general predictions, heretofore lacking, about how predators and prey should respond to one another on both ecological and evolutionary time scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

embly/disassembly (A/D) simulations are important to improve designs and efficiency of product development processes. In order to get efficient simulation processes it is important to simulate all the possible relative movements between the components in a mechanical system (assembly). This is important both in the context of interactive simulation and in the context of immersive/real time simulations. If some categories of movements are missing, simulations can loose key configurations, hence they may be no longer meaningful. This paper deals with a theoretical framework for developing of a kinematical model able to represent all the valid relative movements of a reference component with respect to its surrounding ones, which form a family of trajectories. It is based on the analysis of the three basic movements: translation, rotation and helical movements. In order to determine the compatibility between different families of trajectories, a bi-quaternion is associated to each contact area between the different components. All possible trajectories for each component are analyzed, for the three basic type of movements, in order to find the compatible ones, which leads to the specification of an operator. Thus, the results of all the possible associations are determined and a general combination operator is proposed and its properties are demonstrated. This operator can form, in a real time simulation environment, the basis for determining at each moment, the valid movements between components, thus reducing the complexity of collision detection algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population structure and patterns of habitat use among ringed seals ( Phoca hispida) are poorly known, in part because seasonal movements have not been adequately documented. We monitored the movements of 98 ringed seals in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas between 1990 and 2006 using three forms of telemetry. In the winter—spring period (when the seals were occupying shorefast ice), we used radio and ultra-sonic tags to track movements above and below the ice, respectively. We used satellite-linked transmitters in summer and fall (when the seals ranged away from their winter sites) to track at-sea movements. In the shorefast ice habitat, the home ranges of 27 adult males ranged from <1 to 13.9 km2 (median = 0.628) while the home ranges of 28 adult females ranged from <1 to 27.9 km2 (median = 0.652). The 3-dimensional volumes used by 9 seals tracked acoustically under the ice averaged 0.07 (SD = 0.04) km3 for subadults and adult males and 0.13 (SD = 0.04) km3 for adult females. Three of the radio-tracked seals and 9 tracked by satellite ranged up to 1,800 km from their winter/spring home ranges in summer but returned to the same small (1–2 km2) sites during the ice-bound months in the following year. The restricted movements of ringed seals during the ice-bound season—including the breeding season—limits their foraging activities for most of the year and may minimize gene flow within the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to an overlap in the resources used by the flight muscles with the resources used during egg production, it has been hypothesised that an increased dispersal in fragmented landscapes may result in a physiological trade-off between flight and reproduction. In a common garden experiment, we investigated the effects of increased flight on the reproductive output of female speckled wood butterflies ( Pararge aegeria, L.) from closed continuous woodland populations versus open highly fragmented agricultural landscapes in central France. Our flight treatment significantly affected resource allocation to egg size, but had no effect on mean daily fecundity. This treatment effect was similar for females from the two landscapes of origin, and suggests that energetic costs associated with increased flight result in a decrease in resource allocation to egg provisioning. There was a landscape-specific effect of flight on longevity: flight reduced longevity by 21% in woodland females, but had no affect on agricultural females. This result suggests that woodland landscape females further compensate for excessive flight by redirecting resources away from somatic maintenance, resulting in reduced life spans. Our results strongly indicate that increased flight caused by changes in landscape structure may impact on key life history traits such as reproductive success and longevity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When sight-reading a piece of music the eyes constantly scan the score slightly ahead of music execution. This separation between reading and acting is commonly termed eye-hand span and can be expressed in two ways: as anticipation in notes or in time. Previous research, predominantly in piano players, found skill-dependent differences of eye-hand span. To date no study has explored visual anticipation in violinists. The present study investigated how structural properties of a piece of music affect the eye-hand span in a group of violinists. To this end eye movements and bow reversals were recorded synchronously while musicians sight-read a piece of music. The results suggest that structural differences of the score are reflected in the eye-hand span in a way similar to skill level. Specifically, the piece with higher complexity was associated with lower anticipation in notes, longer fixation duration and a tendency for more regressive fixations. Anticipation in time, however, remained the same (~1 s) independently of the score played but was correlated with playing tempo. We conclude that the eye-hand span is not only influenced by the experience of the musician, but also by the structure of the score to be played. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]