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The efficiency of businesses is often hindered by the challenges encountered in traditional Supply Chain Management (SCM), which is characterized by elevated risks due to inadequate accountability and transparency. To address these challenges and improve operations in green manufacturing, optimization algorithms play a crucial role in supporting decision-making processes. In this study, we propose a solution to the green lot size optimization issue by leveraging bio-inspired algorithms, notably the Stork Optimization Algorithm (SOA). The SOA draws inspiration from the hunting and winter migration strategies employed by storks in nature. The theoretical framework of SOA is elaborated and mathematically modeled through two distinct phases: exploration, based on migration simulation, and exploitation, based on hunting strategy simulation. To tackle the green lot size optimization issue, our methodology involved gathering real-world data, which was then transformed into a simplified function with multiple constraints aimed at optimizing total costs and minimizing CO emissions. This function served as input for the SOA model. Subsequently, the SOA model was applied to identify the optimal lot size that strikes a balance between cost-effectiveness and sustainability. Through extensive experimentation, we compared the performance of SOA with twelve established metaheuristic algorithms, consistently demonstrating that SOA outperformed the others. This study's contribution lies in providing an effective solution to the sustainable lot-size optimization dilemma, thereby reducing environmental impact and enhancing supply chain efficiency. The simulation findings underscore that SOA consistently achieves superior outcomes compared to existing optimization methodologies, making it a promising approach for green manufacturing and sustainable supply chain management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although some molecular epidemiological surveys on avian haemosporidian protozoa have been conducted in Turkey, it is of great importance to increase the number of studies on the subject in this country, which has important bird migration routes between Europe and Africa. Hatay province, which is the intersection point of many bird migration routes in the intercontinental crossing, is a very suitable geographical location for the investigation of avian haemosporidian protozoa in a wide variety of bird species that use it as a route. Therefore, this study was planned to survey Haemoproteus spp., Plasmodium spp., and Leucocytozoon spp. in migratory birds sampled from this province. The animal material of the study consisted of Ciconia ciconia (Ciconiformes, n:45), Ichthyaetus melanocephalus (Charadriiformes, n:2), Pelecanus onocrotalus (Pelecaniformes, n:5) and Pelecanus crispus (Pelecaniformes, n:1). Microscopic examinations revealed Haemoproteus spp. gametocytes (5.66%) in one white stork and two Mediterranean gulls. On the other hand, nested PCR assay targeting the mitochondrial cytochrome b (Cytb) gene revealed the presence of Plasmodium/Haemoproteus spp. in 11.3% (6/53) of migratory birds. Leucocytozoon spp. was not detected by either microscopy or PCR. PCRpositive products were sequenced bi-directionally, and the GenBank and MalAvi databases were used for phylogenetic analysis and lineage identification of the isolates. This study revealed H-MYCAME08 lineage (OR227579, OR227580, OR227581, OR227582) in Ciconia ciconia and H-LARCRA01 [H. (Parahaemoproteus) larae] lineage (OR227577, OR227578) in Ichthyaetus melanocephalus, respectively. There are no studies investigating the haemosporidian parasites of these birds in Turkey, and studies on haemosporidian parasites of these species in different countries are also limited. Although the Haemoproteus MYCAME08 Cytb lineage has been demonstrated in ciconiform birds (Ciconidae) and the LARCRA01 lineage in charadriiform birds (Laridae), this study is unique in terms of reporting these lineages in different species in the same families. Inspired by this, we envisage that the expanding host range of Cytb lineages of haemosporidian protozoa is an indication that there is still a long way to go with avian haemosporidian protozoa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intestinal parasites are commonly reported in free-ranging birds and play an important role in maintaining a healthy and balanced ecosystem and causing zoonotic diseases. The aim of this work was to reveal the presence and histological findings of digestive system parasites in storks, as well as the histopathological changes caused by C. hians isolated from storks. A total of four storks, an adult black stork and three adult white storks that were brought to the pathology laboratory were used in the study. Histopathological findings of the intestines of black and white storks were determined using hematoxylin and eosin staining. During necropsy, numerous nodules were observed in the serosa of the intestines of black stork. A parasitic infection was only observed along the oesophagus. Histopathologically, in the intestines of the black stork, degeneration, necrosis and desquamation, heterophil and mononuclear cell infiltrations, parasite sections and parasite eggs, ulcerated areas, and regeneration with fibrosis were detected. Histopathologically, no parasitic infections were found in the white storks' oesophagus or proventriculus. Degeneration, necrosis, and desquamation were observed in the intestinal epithelium of white storks. This study was the first to define histopathological changes in the intestines of storks and showed severe nodular inflammation caused by C. hians in Türkiye. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Ottoman Legacy Studies (OMAD) / Osmanlı Mirası Araştırmaları Dergisi is the property of Journal of Ottoman Legacy Studies and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Autophagy participates in the development of cerebral ischemia stroke. Autophagy-related 3 (ATG3), an important autophagy regulator, was reported to be upregulated in a rat model of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (CI/R) injury and an oxygen–glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) cell model. However, the detailed role of ATG3 in CI/R injury remains elusive. An in vitro cellular model was established to mimic CI/R injury by exposing hBMECs and bEnd.3 cells to OGD/R. OGD/R-induced injury were evaluated by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), LDH release assay, caspase-3 activity assay and TUNEL assay. Inflammation was assessed by detecting mRNA expression and concentrations of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) using qRT-PCR and ELISA, respectively. The protein levels of ATG3, light chain 3 (LC3)-I, LC3-II, p62, protein kinase B (Akt), and phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt) were determined by western blot analysis. We successfully established an in vitro OGD/R injury model using hBMECs and bEnd.3 cells. ATG3 was time-dependently upregulated and ATG3 knockdown inhibited autophagy in OGD/R-challenged brain microvascular endothelial cells. Moreover, autophagy inhibition by ATG3 interference attenuated OGD/R-induced viability inhibition and increase of LDH release, caspase-3 activity, programmed cell death, and production of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α. Inhibition of autophagy by ATG3 silencing activated the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway in OGD/R-challenged brain microvascular endothelial cells. Furthermore, inhibition of the PI3K/Akt pathway reversed the protective effects of ATG3 silencing on OGD/R-induced injury and inflammation. In conclusion, autophagy inhibition by ATG3 knockdown remitted OGD/R-induced injury and inflammation in brain microvascular endothelial cells via activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Greater Adjutant is an IUCN Red List 'Endangered' scavenging stork. This study reports the findings of post-mortem, histopathology, and a series of microbiological tests conducted on the Greater Adjutant that died in Deeporbeel Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam. A post-mortem examination revealed extensive nodule forming parasitic (Balfouria monogama) infestations in the stomach and intestine. Generalised congestion and haemorrhages in multiple organs were also revealed by the histopathological findings. Bacteriological culture detected the presence of Escherichia coli, Enterococcus sp., and Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens was confirmed by cpa gene PCR). Virus detection tests like HA and HI test for NDV and rapid antigen detection test for Avian Influenza virus were found to be negative; however, PCR of tissue samples from two Greater Adjutants for Flavivirus was found to be positive. Greater Adjutants may carry the above bacteria as commensals in their GI tract and may possibly act as a reservoir of Flavivirus. The actual cause of deaths, however, were confirmed by the forensic report to be due to organophosphorus toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Many studies have shown a relationship between serum level of trace elements and risk of stroke, but the exact mechanism of this relationship is not clear. The purpose of this study was to measure changes of serum magnesium, iron, copper, and zinc levels in ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients to evaluate their potential diagnostic utility.Materials and methods: Overall, 53 healthy individuals (30 men, 32 women) and 53 ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients (30 men, 23 women) who were admitted to the Rouhani Hospital in Babol (Iran) were enrolled in the study within 24 hours after stroke onset. Diagnosis was made based on medical history and physical examination by a neurologist. After blood sampling, serum copper was assessed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry, and zinc, magnesium and iron levels were assessed by spectrophotometry. Data analysis was performed in SPSS (version 21) using independent sample t-test and chi-square test. Results: Serum concentrations of copper was significantly higher in the patients (58.8 ±14.7 mg/dL) compared with the controls (45.7 ±10.0 mg/dL). Serum concentrations of zinc was significantly higher in the patients (113.2 ±17.3 mg/dL) compared with the controls (95.60 ±12.80 mg/dl). Moreover, serum concentrations of iron was significantly higher in the patients (148.5 ±30.4 mg/dL) compared with the controls (74.22 ±33.3 mg/dL). However, the patients (1.4 ±0.8 mEq/L) had significantly lower level of magnesium level compared to the controls (2.1 ±0.3 mEq/L). Conclusions: Our results suggest that evaluation of serum magnesium, iron, copper and zinc levels in ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients may be useful for the prediction and diagnosis of stroke status.

In many species of birds, parental care is provided by both parents to maximize offspring survival, and there may be important trade-offs between maximizing food gathering and nest protection during the nesting period. The role of parental care in determining reproductive success was investigated in Wood Storks (Mycteria americana), and specifically how the trade-off between frequency and duration of foraging trips and nest protection contributed to the nesting outcome. Parental behavior of 85 pairs of Wood Storks was monitored throughout the nesting season in two breeding colonies in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA. Wood Storks gradually increased the frequency, but not the duration, of foraging trips as chicks developed. The ratio of hatchlings to fledglings was positively associated with the frequency of foraging trips during late chick development. Intra-specific aggressions resulting in nest takeovers affected 32% of the nests. Occurrence of nest takeovers were higher for later-breeding pairs, and happened primarily in the first few weeks of incubation, but was not affected by the degree of joint nest attendance of both parents. These results establish a functional link between parental effort and reproductive outcome in Wood Storks, and highlight the importance of frequent foraging trips, but not nest attendance, by parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to analyze the parasitic fauna of dead white storks in nesting sites in different parts of Poland and the associated histopathological changes. Samples from thirtyeight white storks aged 3 weeks to 5 years were examined after their arrival at a stork sanctuary. The presence of Cathaemasia hians, Chaunocephalus ferox, Choanotaenia infundibulum, Railletina tetragona and Syngamus trachea was confirmed in 17 out of 38 (47.73%) individuals. Cathaemasia hians and Chaunocephalus ferox flukes are not endemic to the studied area. The frequency of C. ferox was significantly higher in the youngest storks from group I (3-4 weeks old) compared to groups II (11-15 weeks old) and III (older than 2 years). Fluke eggs were only detected with sedimentation method in three samples (group III), while no adult flukes at all were found in the intestines. Chaunocephalus ferox was shown to be the most common pathogen in all storks studied when compared to other parasites. A histopathological examination of the jejunum and ileum revealed atherosclerotic changes in the muscular layer, lymphoid infiltration in the mucosa, the presence of adult flukes of C. hians and C. ferox in the intestinal lumen, and lymphoid infiltration in the muscular layer. Intense lymphoid infiltration in the mucosa was also observed in storks whose intestines were heavily infested with R. tetragona and C. infundibulum. Parasitic infections compromise the birds' health status and affect the duration of flights, and they can increase the risk of other diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Belief in animal protectors from around the home managed to reach present times almost unchanged in Romania. In this respect, the paper publishes for the first time information gathered in The Folklore Archive of Moldavia and Bucovina, founded in 1970. The two sub-sections are based both on a bibliographic and field information perspective on swallows, storks, and on the snake of the house respectively. The close relationship with these animals is on one hand created by the conviction that birds bring good fortune to the house they nest in, and on the other hand by the belief that each house has a protecting serpent. None of these can be killed or even disturbed by people since great misfortune will follow. The swallows and the storks will set the house on fire if their nests are destroyed and the death of the snake will also end the life of the inhabitants, because they are presented as double egos. This later perspective can be supported both by personal stories and folk ballads on the lad who grew together with the serpent beneath the house. There are also many legends on swallows and storks backing up the mythological image of these migratory birds. The active beliefs also influenced architecture and crafts, since people felt the need to decorate their houses, gates and house objects mainly with the image of the snake, but also with representations of the swallow. The conviction is so strong that even animals who harm the birds are believed to suffer from their revenge. The portraits are obviously drawn in an humanizing manner in order to support the idea of special creatures coming to help the entire household. While the birds have a solar projection, since they come in Romania with the spring and leave when the day is getting shorter, the serpent keeps his sepulchral auro that has been documented ever since Roman Antiquity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Knowledge: International Journal is the property of Institute for Knowledge Management and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Zeledonia is the property of Asociacion Ornitologica de Costa Rica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The rostral part of the nasal cavity is cooler to prevent the loss of water that is crucial for the fluid balance of birds. This function may be related to the structure of the nose of flying birds. For this reason, we decided to analyze the nasal structure of two different birds using volume and volume fraction approach of the stereology. In this study, 14 seagulls and 7 storks were examined and volume fractions of the nasal cavity and nasal structures were estimated. Heads of animals were scanned in computed tomography. The images were sampled randomly at a 1/5 sampling fraction. 11-16 sections for the stork and 16-20 sections for the seagull were examined. The sectional surface areas of the total nasal cavity, nasal septum, nasal space and conchae were estimated using the Cavalieri principle of the stereological methods. The volume and volume fractions of structures were assessed. Results obtained from the CT images were compared between stork and seagull. The volume fractions of the conchae, nasal cavity and nasal septum were 30.24%, 55.22%, 14.54%, and 33.03%, 53.23%, 13.73%, in stork and seagulls, respectively. The volume fractions of structures did not show statistical difference between two species. Our findings suggest that the nasal structures of the two-different species have similar architecture, which may be linked to the same function in flying birds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inside the tomb 22 (XXV) of the “Addition" to the Second Vallone cemetery at Corchiano in the Ager Faliscus, two very interesting Faliscan red-figure vases (an hydria and a discoidal askos) were found. They seem to reflect, according to L. Savignoni, the iconography of the famous Aesop's fable The Fox and the Stork. On the hydria a stork with a beak immersed in a labrum and behind it a quadruped (fox?) intent on licking the left leg of the stork are depicted; on the discoidal askos a running quadruped (fox?) is shown and on the other side a stork with wings spread out. The representation of the stork drinking from a labrum is well known both in Attic and in Faliscan red-figured pottery. The reference could be either immediate (to the water present in the labrum and to the water destined to be contained in the hydria) and/or symbolic. The comparison with other representations of this type allows to connect the scene to the ablution (nuptial or previous the amorous encounter) and to the sexual desire. However, in the scene of the bird drinking from the labrum on our hydria is also present a quadruped (fox?).The fox in the case of reference to scenes of ablution or sexual desire, would have no role. In our opinion, however, it is not excluded that the depictions present the hydria and on the askos, like the others (very common in ancient times) in which a more aggressive animal assaults or threatens another more submissive and defenseless, are allusive to the fate of man threatened by death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decades, the presence of micronucleated blood cells has been used to detect genotoxic effects of xenobiotics in fish, amphibians and birds. This study assessed the frequency of micronuclei (MN) and other nuclear abnormalities in erythrocytes of individuals of Ardea cinerea and Ciconia ciconia retrieved for rehabilitation in order to evaluate the influence of age, temporal and spatial factors on the occurrence of DNA damage in Portuguese wild birds. Blood smears from 65 birds with different life-history backgrounds (e.g. geographic origin, age) were collected between 2007 and 2011 and the frequency of erythrocyte nuclear abnormalities (ENAs) was analysed. Differences in DNA damage between ages were observed to occur in C. ciconia , with chicks displaying significantly higher frequencies of ENAs (both when looking at total ENAs or only MN frequency) than juveniles and adults. Additionally, significant differences in ENAs frequencies were observed between different years and geographic origins, whereas MN frequency alone did not show significant alterations concerning spatial and temporal variations. These results suggest that the assessment of ENAs rather than MN frequency alone may be a useful and valuable tool to complement the evaluation of DNA damage in populations of birds, as prompted by individual life-history traits and environmental factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to establish accurate baseline values of clinical laboratory data with regard to age-related changes in the Oriental white stork (Ciconia boyciana). In addition, the availability of an automated hematological cell counter was evaluated. A total of 94 clinically normal storks, including 64 young storks (<1 year old; 30 male and 34 female) and 30 adults (> 1 year old; 17 male and 13 female) were included. Hematological assays were performed using manual and automated cell counters and serum biochemistry profiles were examined using an automated analyzer. There were no significant differences in any parameters between male and female storks, while 16 parameters were significantly different between young and adult storks. Of these 16 parameters, total protein, albumin, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, creatinine, triglyceride, total bilirubin, potassium, white blood cell count, packed cell volume, mean cell volume and hemoglobin levels were higher in adult storks than in young storks, while the latter showed higher glucose, uric acid and alkaline phosphatase levels, as well as a higher sodium/potassium ratio. The results presented herein will aid researchers who work for the conservation and rehabilitation of this endangered species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finding of Two Species from the Tribe Synhimantea (Nematoda, Acuariidae) in the Kyiv Zoological Park. Syrota, Ya. Yu., Kharchenko, V. O., Lyaskivskiy, V. N., Kobylinsky, V. V., Vasylkivska, I. B. - The article presents the description of Desportesius sagitattus (Rudolphi, 1809) and Dispharynx nasuta (Rudolphi, 1819) based on original studies of the material collected in the Kyiv Zoo. De. sagitattus was found in Ukraine for the first time. Di. nasuta, found in Grus grus Linnaeus, 1758, is uncommon parasite of this host species. Larvae of Di. nasuta from the intermediate hosts, woodlice Oniscidea spp., are also described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study which investigated the size and trends of colonial wading birds, as well as their environmental and anthropogenic determinants. Topics discussed include the use of Generalised Additive Models to assess the effect of local rainfall and the surface area of ricefields on breeding population size, increase in the number of active colonies and the association between low precipitation with reductions in the numbers of breeders.

ABSTRACT This study was undertaken to investigate the pecten oculi of stork by using macroscopic, light and electron microscopic techniques. A total of 20 eyes that were obtained from 10 storks were used. The eyes were cleaned and isolated by dissection. After various procedures, four of the pecten oculi were examined by light microscope while the other four with an electron microscope. The remaining 12 eyes were assigned for macroscopic investigation. Pecten oculi of the stork were determined as accordion-like structures that originated from n. opticus, consisting of 15-17 plica and projecting up to 2/5 of the diameter of the bulbus oculi. Light microscopic examination revealed two types of blood vessels. Afferent-efferent vessels were larger in diamater (40-45 µm), fewer in numbers, and the capillary vessels were smaller in diamater (2-5 µm) and more in numbers. There were granules including amount of melanin pigment at the apical part of the pleats. These granules were fewer and scattered randomly on the basal part of the pleats. As a result, pecten oculi in the stork, which is a migrating bird, were determined to be similar to those of other diurnal birds. Microsc. Res. Tech. 76:963-967, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was carried out to describe the origin, course and ramifications of the cardiac veins in storks. For this purpose, coloured latex injection method was applied on heart of nine adult storks. The results indicate that venous drainage of the heart was provided by the v. cardiaca sinistra, the v. cardiaca media, the vv. cardiacae dextrae and the vv. cardiacae minimae. The coronary sinus was not found in all samples. The v. cardiaca sinistra and v. cardiaca media were opened into the v. cava cranialis sinistra. The v. cardiaca sinistra was the largest vein providing to venous drainage of heart which consisted of two main parts pars interventriculars and v. cardiaca circumflexa sinistra.Jhe v. cardiaca circumflexa sinistra was collected to venous blood of the ventriculus sinister and atrium sinistrum by means of several vessels. One branch of the v. cardiaca circumflexa sinistra coming from ventriculus sinister was much larger than rest and drained big part of ventriculus sinister. The v. cardiac media was a single vein. The vv. cardiacae dextrae were opened directly into the right atrium. The vv. cardiacae minimae were collected venous blood from the wall of atrium dextrum and interventricular septum and emptied into the right chambers of heart. The venous blood of the interventricular septum was collected by the vv. septales of pars interventricularis and v. cardiaca media. It was concluded that circulation of cardiac veins in stork closely resembles that of rodent and is unlike both fowl and ostrich patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many European states have issued electronic identities (eID) to its citizens since the early 2000s. Several have reached full coverage and usually high assurance credentials, such as smartcards, USB crypto tokens, or mobile phone eIDs are used. This lead to an impressive security infrastructure to authenticate at online services that, however, evolved as national silos - interoperability was no priority for a while. To overcome this, 18 European states have joined forces in the large scale pilot STORK. A SAML-based technical solution for cross-border eID federation between states has been designed, implemented, and finally piloted in a number of production services. In this paper we present the STORK middleware architecture that has been developed by Austria and Germany. Its main characteristic is a decentralized deployment that gives some end-to-end security and privacy advantages, but also needs particular attention to meet scalability challenges. This is compared to the STORK proxy model, an alternative centralized deployment approach that was chosen by other states. Federation between the two architectures is described, with particular attention to security and privacy aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we morphologically investigated storks' tongue and compared with other avian species for the similarities and differences. Six storks were used in the study. Stork tongue composed of three parts; apex linguae, corpus linguae and radix linguae and were connected with frenulum linguae in the ventral of the mount. The most thick epithelial layer and the most keratinization were located on the apex linguae and the dorsal part of the radix linguae in stork tongue. Although, macroscopically papillae was not seen, on microscopical examination filiform papillae was observed on the dorsal part of the radix linguae. Lingual glands were not present in the submucosal layer. In conclusion, it is the first time that morphological structure of tongue in the storks have been investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the ecological risk of siting a new municipal solid waste landfill near a National Wildlife Refuge in Florida, we carried out a retrospective assessment at a large waterbird colony located near an existing active landfill. Monitoring data collected over twenty years, including flight-line counts both at dawn and midday, shows the mixed-species, communal roost was active continuously from 1987 through 2007. The largest number of birds counted in any single flight-line count was 14,750 birds recorded in July 2007. The numerically dominant species recorded during flight-line counts were, in approximate order of abundance: White Ibis, (Eudocimus albus), Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis), Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerules), Great Egret (Ardea alba), and Tricolor Heron (E. tricolor). Breeding bird censuses revealed this site served also as a nesting colony each year since 1987; annual total nest numbers peaked in 1987 at 5,127 nests. Taxa richness increased over the monitoring period with new species nesting or roosting in the colony; in particular, the endangered Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) began nesting at this site in 1995 and eventually became one of the numerically important species. Nest success at the landfill colony was similar to or higher than success probabilities reported at other colonies in south Florida. Fidelity to this colony site was likely related to the area's environmental predictability in terms of: 1) food supply and, 2) the low, temporally constant level of predation. In general, resident waterbird populations at the colony were sustainable over the monitoring period, i.e., maintained abundance, survived and reproduced at rates comparable to other colonies. Therefore, although there was evidence of organism-level impacts, there was no evidence that landfill-related stresses propagated up and had population- or community-level consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Paläontologische Zeitschrift is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: There is growing evidence that ubiquitous environmental contaminants may interfere with vertebrate endocrine systems. The selected endocrine biomarkers are used to indicate the condition of free-ranging populations of wildlife, including avian species. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of environment quality on serum thyroxine (T4) and melatonin (Mel) in white stork nestlings (Ciconia ciconia) living in different locations: small villages in natural areas surrounded by forests and crop fields, near the city and near the copper smelter. We extended our analyses to examine the hormones'' day–night changes in conjunction with chicks'' age. Total serum T4 and Mel was measured by RIA. T4 level, as a decisive measure of thyroid hormone productivity, was significantly lower in the nestlings exposed to pollutants from the copper smelter. Mel, as a well-known scavenger of free radicals, was elevated in the nestlings in the area near the copper smelter. This study indicates that alteration in T4 and Mel levels could be a useful marker of exposure of nestling wild storks to different toxic substances in field studies. Mel is postulated to be a susceptible defensive molecule as a protective mechanism for organisms. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, we examine the issues of workflow mapping and execution in opportunistic environments such as the Grid. As applications become ever more complex, the process of choosing the appropriate resources and successfully executing the application components becomes ever more difficult. This may include extension or reduction of the initial workflow mapping as necessary for the actual execution. In this paper, we focus on the interplay between a workflow-mapping component that plans the high-level resource assignments and the workflow executor that oversees the component execution. We concentrate particularly on issues of data management and we draw from the experiences with mapping and execution systems: Pegasus, DAGMan and Stork. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Stereospecific Stille coupling reactions of 2-metallo-dihydropyrans with Z-vinyl iodo alcohols and subsequent cyclisation provides rapid access to 1,7-dioxaspiro[5.5]undecane family of spiroketals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Slender legged stilt birds give the impression of striding more gracefully and more slowly than other bipeds when moving over ground, a behavioural characteristic often thought to be linked to the challenges imposed by walking on tendril stilts. To test the significance of this impression, video sequences (50 Hz) of free ranging storks were digitised and analysed. Spatio-temporal gait characteristics (stride length, step length, stride frequency, duty factor, swing phase duration) were determined and compared with those of other bird species and humans, taking account of speed of locomotion, leg length and body mass. Storks increase their speed mainly by increasing stride frequency, and to a lesser extent by taking longer strides. Step length is nearly independent of speed. As a result, the duty factor decreases when walking faster, becoming somewhat smaller than 0.5 m only at higher speeds. At speeds below 1.3 m/s swing phase duration decreases with increased walking velocity; at higher speeds swing phase duration remains nearly constant. In general, spatio-temporal gait characteristics do not differ in their dimensionless form from those of other bipeds. However, storks definitely walk much slower than would be expected from their size (leg length and mass). This suggests that these slender legged stilt birds, although walking dynamically similarly to other bipeds, do limit their walking speed, probably to avoid excessive musculo-skeletal stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Wood Stork ( Mycteria americana) is a colonial wading bird of the tropical and lower subtropical zones. We assessed genetic structure within and among five stork colonies from the Brazilian Pantanal and compared our data with those from North American populations. Samples of 234 individuals were studied using protein electrophoresis to evaluate genetic variability and interpopulation differentiation. Of 22 loci examined, 7 were polymorphic (mean heterozygosity = 0.068). The low Fst value (0.005) indicated little intraspecific variation among breeding colonies. Estimated number of migrants per generation based on private alleles (Nm = 11.3) and on Fst (48.8) suggests high gene flow. Nei's genetic distance values among Pantanal colonies ranged from 0.0001 to 0.0034, demonstrating low genetic divergence among populations. Our data can be explained by supposing high gene flow levels among Pantanal colonies, and between North and South American populations, intermediated by a probable interbreeding population in Central America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present the design and implementation of an application-layer data throughput prediction and optimization service for many-task computing in widely distributed environments. This service uses multiple parallel TCP streams to improve the end-to-end throughput of data transfers. A novel mathematical model is developed to determine the number of parallel streams, required to achieve the best network performance. This model can predict the optimal number of parallel streams with as few as three prediction points. We implement this new service in the Stork Data Scheduler, where the prediction points can be obtained using Iperf and GridFTP samplings. Our results show that the prediction cost plus the optimized transfer time is much less than the nonoptimized transfer time in most cases. As a result, Stork data transfer jobs with optimization service can be completed much earlier, compared to nonoptimized data transfer jobs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]