Search

The number of cancer diagnoses and deaths worldwide is rising every year despite technological advancements in diagnosing and treating multiple forms of cancer. An oncolytic virus is a type of tumour-killing virus that can infect and analyze cancer cells while mostly preserving normal cells. The oncolytic Vesicular-Stomatitis Virus therapeutic's cell cycle-specific action mathematically investigated. An optimal Proportion Integral-Derivative (PI-D) controller is introduced in this paper based on a suggested Improved Crow Search Algorithm (ICSA) to enhance the outcome of oncolytic virotherapy. The control technique was tested in a computer using MATLAB simulation. The suggested ICSA is used to tune the parameters of the PI-D controller. The ICSA used the inertia factor and boundary handle mechanism in the position update equation to balance exploration and exploitation. The simulation results show that decrease in total dose, tumour cells to 30%, the tumour remain in the treatment area from day 30 onwards. Furthermore, the ICSA algorithm outperforms the CSA and PSO algorithms by 34.5497×10-6 and 15.2573 ×10-6 , respectively, indicating the robustness of treatment methods that can accomplish tumour reduction through biological parameters ambiguity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crow search algorithm (CSA) is a new type of swarm intelligence optimization algorithm proposed by simulating the crows' intelligent behavior of hiding and retrieving food. The algorithm has the characteristics of simple structure, few control parameters, and easy implementation. Like most optimization algorithms, the crow search algorithm also has the disadvantage of slow convergence and easy fall into local optimum. Therefore, a crow search algorithm based on improved flower pollination algorithm (IFCSA) is proposed to solve these problems. First, the search ability of the algorithm is balanced by the reasonable change of awareness probability, and then the convergence speed of the algorithm is improved. Second, when the leader finds himself followed, the cross-pollination strategy with Cauchy mutation is introduced to avoid the blindness of individual location update, thus improving the accuracy of the algorithm. Experiments on twenty benchmark problems and speed reducer design were conducted to compare the performance of IFCSA with that of other algorithms. The results show that IFCSA has better performance in function optimization and speed reducer design problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main concerns of power generation systems around the world is power theft. This research proposes a framework that merges clustering and classification together in order to power theft detection. Due to the fact that most datasets do not have abnormal samples or are few, we have added abnormal samples to the original datasets using artificial attacks to create balance in the datasets and increase the correct detection rate. We improved the crow search algorithm (CSA) and used the weight feature of Crows to improve performance of clustering phase. Also, to create balance between diversification and intensification, we calculated the awareness probability parameter (AP) dynamically at iterations of the algorithm. To evaluate the performance, we used the cross validation technique have used the stacking technique in its training phase. The results of extensive experiments on three reference datasets showed high performance to detect power theft. The evaluation results showed that if the data is collected correctly and sufficiently, this framework can effectively detect power theft in any actual power grid. Also, for new attacks, if their patterns can be detected from the data, it is easily possible to implement these types of attacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different species of animals can discriminate numerosity, the countable number of objects in a set. The representations of countable numerosities have been deciphered down to the level of single neurons. However, despite its importance for human number theory, a special numerical quantity, the empty set (numerosity zero), has remained largely unexplored. We explored the behavioral and neuronal representation of the empty set in carrion crows. Crows were trained to discriminate small numerosities including the empty set. Performance data showed a numerical distance effect for the empty set in one crow, suggesting that the empty set and countable numerosities are represented along the crows' "mental number line." Single-cell recordings in the endbrain region nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL) showed a considerable proportion of NCL neurons tuned to the preferred numerosity zero. As evidenced by neuronal distance and size effects, NCL neurons integrated the empty set in the neural number line. A subsequent neuronal population analysis using a statistical classifier approach showed that the neuronal numerical representations were predictive of the crows' success in the task. These behavioral and neuronal data suggests that the conception of the empty set as a cognitive precursor of a zero-like number concept is not an exclusive property of the cerebral cortex of primates. Zero as a quantitative category cannot only be implemented in the layered neocortex of primates, but also in the anatomically distinct endbrain circuitries of birds that evolved based on convergent evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carrion crows have been found to possess the ability to count out loud, similar to human toddlers. Researchers have discovered that these birds can associate and utter a sound with a visual or auditory cue, indicating an understanding of numbers and counting. The crows were trained to produce a specific number of calls in response to stimuli and were rewarded accordingly. This study suggests that carrion crows may have a language system similar to humans and provides insight into the evolution of numerical competence. [Extracted from the article]

Although lead (Pb) poisoning in wild birds has been considered a serious problem in Japan for over 30 years, there is little information about Pb exposure and its sources throughout Japan except for Hokkaido. Furthermore, to identify and effectively prioritize the conservation needs of highly vulnerable species, differences in sensitivity to Pb exposure among avian species need to be determined. Therefore, we investigated the current situation of Pb exposure in raptors (13 species, N = 82), waterfowl (eight species, N = 44) and crows (one species, N = 6) using concentration and isotope analysis. We employed blood or tissue samples collected in various Japanese facilities mainly in 2022 or 2023. We also carried out a comparative study of blood δ-ALAD sensitivity to in vitro Pb exposure using blood of nine avian species. Pb concentrations in the blood or tissues displayed increased levels (>0.1 μg/g blood) in two raptors (2.4%), ten waterfowl (23%) and one crow (17%). Among them, poisoning levels (>0.6 μg/g blood) were found in one black kite and one common teal. The sources of Pb isotope ratios in ten blood samples with high Pb levels were determined as deriving from shot pellets (N = 9) or rifle bullets (N = 1). In the δ-ALAD study, red-crowned crane showed the highest sensitivity among the nine tested avian species and was followed in order by five Accipitriformes species (including white-tailed and Steller's sea eagle), Blakiston's fish owl, Muscovy duck and chicken, suggesting a genetically driven variance in susceptibility. Further studies on contamination conditions and exposure sources are urgently needed to inform strict regulations on the usage of Pb ammunition. Furthermore, detailed examinations of δ-ALAD sensitivity, interspecific differences, and other factors involved in the variability in sensitivity to Pb are required to identify and prioritize highly sensitive species. [Display omitted] • Pb exposure in wild birds from Japan mainly since 2022 was investigated. • 2.4% of raptors, 23% of waterfowl, and 17% of crows were highly exposed to Pb. • Pb isotope ratios in 10 samples suggested exposure by Pb shots or rifle bullets. • ALAD sensitivity to in vitro Pb exposure varied among avian species. • Species difference in ALAD sensitivity suggested contribution of genetic variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Musical and rhythmical abilities are poorly documented in non-human animals. Most of the existing studies focused on synchronisation performances to external rhythms. In humans, studies demonstrated that rhythmical processing (e. g. rhythm discrimination or synchronisation to external rhythm) is dependent of an individual measure: the individual tempo. It is assessed by asking participants to produce an endogenous isochronous rhythm (known as spontaneous motor tempo) without any specific instructions nor temporal cue. In non-human animal literature, studies describing spontaneous and endogenous production of motor tempo without any temporal clue are rare. This exploratory study aims to describe and compare the spontaneous motor tempo of cockatiels and jungle crows. Data were collected on spontaneous beak drumming behaviours of birds housed in laboratory. Inter beak strokes intervals were calculated from sound tracks of videos. The analyses revealed that inter beak strokes intervals are non-randomly distributed intervals and are isochronous. Recorded spontaneous motor tempos are significantly different among some cockatiels. Since we could only conduct statistical analysis with one corvid, we cannot conclude about this species. Our results suggest that cockatiels and jungle crows have individual tempos, thus encouraging further investigations. • Spontaneous tempo production abilities are poorly documented in non-human animals. • To produce spontaneous motor tempo could be a pre-requisite to rhythmical abilities. • We explored tempo productions in cockatiels and jungle crows. • Cockatiels and jungle crows spontaneously produce motor tempo (beak strokes). • Cockatiels' interindividual differences in tempos show the same features as humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the article, the authors discuss the kleptoparasitism behavior of birds of prey by reporting on the monitoring of an adult Peregrine Falcon stealing voles (possibly Microtus californicus) from White-tailed Kites near Half Moon Bay in San Mateo County, California in September 2021. Also cited is the case of an Aplomado Falcon stealing from a White-tailed kite.

Humans are capable of simply observing a correlation between cause and effect, and then producing a novel behavioural pattern in order to recreate the same outcome. However, it is unclear how the ability to create such causal interventions evolved. Here, we show that while 24-month-old children can produce an effective, novel action after observing a correlation, tool-making New Caledonian crows cannot. These results suggest that complex tool behaviours are not sufficient for the evolution of this ability, and that causal interventions can be cognitively and evolutionarily disassociated from other types of causal understanding.

Recent studies have suggested a potential role for wild birds in zoonotic transmission of Campylobacter jejuni, the leading cause of gastroenteritis in humans worldwide. In this study, we detected Campylobacter spp. in 66.9% (85/127) of free-ranging American crows (Corvus brachyrhyncos) sampled in the Sacramento Valley of California in 2012 and 2013. Biochemical testing and sequence analysis of 16S rRNA revealed that 93% of isolates (n = 70) were C. jejuni, with cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) and flagellin A genes detected by PCR in 20% and 46% of the C. jejuni isolates (n = 59), respectively. The high prevalence of C. jejuni, coupled with the occurrence of known virulence markers CDT and flagellin A, demonstrates that crows shed Campylobacter spp. in their feces that are potentially pathogenic to humans. Crows are abundant in urban, suburban, and agricultural settings, and thus further study to determine their role in zoonotic transmission of Campylobacter will inform public health.

Much attention has been paid to the impacts of plastics and other debris on marine organisms, but the effects of plastic on terrestrial organisms have been largely ignored. Detrimental effects of terrestrial plastic could be most pronounced in intensively human-modified landscapes (e.g., urban and agricultural areas), which are a source of much anthropogenic debris. Here, we examine the occurrence, types, landscape associations, and consequences of anthropogenic nest material in the American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos), a North American species that breeds in both urban and agricultural landscapes. We monitored 195 nestlings in 106 nests across an urban and agricultural gradient in the Sacramento Valley, California, USA. We found that 85.2% of crow nests contained anthropogenic material, and 11 of 195 nestlings (5.6%) were entangled in their nests. The length of the material was greater in nests in agricultural territories than in urban territories, and the odds of entanglement increased 7.55 times for each meter of anthropogenic material in the nest. Fledging success was significantly lower for entangled than for unentangled nestlings. In all environments, particularly urban, agricultural, and marine, careful disposal of potential hazards (string, packing and hay bale twine, balloon ribbon, wire, fishing line) could reduce the occurrence of entanglement of nestling birds.

Background and Aim: Wild birds can carry a number of potential human and animal pathogens. These birds can intrude into human habitats giving the opportunity to transmission of such infection. Therefore, the current study was designed to investigate the role of crows and waterfowls as vectors of Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes and to compare cultivation methods with direct polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of infection. Materials and Methods: A total of 200 fecal dropping samples were collected. Salmonella was cultivated by three step method (Universal Pre-enrichment Broth [UPB], Rappaport-Vassiliadis Broth, and Xylose Lysine Desoxycholate agar). The recovered isolates were characterized by biotyping, serotyping, and PCR detection of enterotoxin (stn) gene. The antibiogram pattern of isolates against a panel of 8 antibiotics was recorded. L. monocytogenes was cultivated on UPB, then on Listeria Oxford Agar and Listeria CHROMagar. The recovered isolates were characterized by biotyping and PCR detection of listeriolysin (hylA) gene. Results: The percentages of Salmonella infection in crows and waterfowls were 10 and 20, respectively. The most frequently recovered serovars were Typhimurium, Potengi, Enteritidis, and Kentucky. Antimicrobial susceptibility analysis of Salmonella isolates showed that the resistance rates for gentamicin were the highest (92%), followed by amoxicillin (88%) and cefixime (60%). Resistance to 8 antibiotics was recorded in 60% (15/25) of Salmonella isolates. The percentages of L. monocytogenes infection in crows and waterfowls were 1.3 and 2, respectively. Direct PCR applied to UPB revealed that 12% and 3% of samples were positive for Salmonella and L. monocytogenes, respectively, and there was no significant difference between direct PCR and cultivation method for the detection of infection. Conclusion: The present findings indicate that wild birds can harbor zoonotic enteric pathogens and this necessitates monitoring the epidemiologic status of these pathogens among wild birds and humans and applying the appropriate intervention measures to prevent the spread of infection.

Corvids (crows, magpies, jays) live in a close association with humans, and therefore knowledge about their population status and changes will be an essential part of monitoring the quality of urban environments. Wintering bird populations can track habitat and climate changes more rapidly than breeding populations. We conducted a long-term (1991–2020) winter census of corvid species in 31 human settlements along a 920 km latitudinal gradient in Finland. We observed a total of five corvid species: the Eurasian Magpie (occurring in 114 surveys out of 122; total abundance 990 ind.), the Hooded Crow (in 96 surveys; 666 ind.), the Eurasian Jackdaw (in 51 surveys; 808 ind.), the Eurasian Jay (in 5 surveys; 6 ind.) and the Rook (in 1 survey; 1 ind.). Only the numbers of the Eurasian Jackdaw differed between the study winters, being greater at the end of the study period (2019/2020) than during the earlier winters (1991/1992 and 1999/2000). The average growth rate (λ) of the Eurasian Jackdaw increased during the study period, whereas no changes were observed in the cases of the Hooded Crow or the Eurasian Magpie. The growth rate of the Eurasian Jackdaw was greater than that observed in the Finnish bird-monitoring work, probably because our data came only from the core area of each human settlement. Even though the number of buildings and their cover increased in the study plots, and the winter temperature differed between winters, the average growth rate (λ) of corvid species did not significantly correlate with these variables. These results suggest that urban settlements are stable wintering environments for the generalist corvids. The between-species interactions were all positive, but non-significant. Despite the total number of winter-feeding sites being greater during the winter of 1991/1992 than during the winter of 2019/2020, the changes in the numbers of feeding stations did not correlate with the growth rates of any corvid species. We assume that the Eurasian Jackdaw has benefitted from the decreased persecution, and probably also from large-scale climate warming that our study design was unable to take in to account. Our results indicated that wintering corvid populations succeed well in the human settlements in Finland. We recommend conducting long-term corvid research, also during breeding season, to understand more detailed causes of the population changes of corvids along an urban gradient. Without year-round long-term monitoring data, the conservation and management recommendations related to the corvid species in urban habitats may be misleading.

The planning and execution of head-beak movements are vital components of bird behavior. They require integration of sensory input and internal processes with goal-directed motor output. Despite its relevance, the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying action planning and execution outside of the song system are largely unknown. We recorded single-neuron activity from the associative endbrain area nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL) of two male carrion crows (Corvus corone) trained to plan and execute head-beak movements in a spatial delayed response task. The crows were instructed to plan an impending movement toward one of eight possible targets on the left or right side of a touchscreen. In a fraction of trials, the crows were prompted to plan a movement toward a self-chosen target. NCL neurons signaled the impending motion direction in instructed trials. Tuned neuronal activity during motor planning categorically represented the target side, but also specific target locations. As a marker of intentional movement preparation, neuronal activity reliably predicted both target side and specific target location when the crows were free to select a target. In addition, NCL neurons were tuned to specific target locations during movement execution. A subset of neurons was tuned during both planning and execution period; these neurons experienced a sharpening of spatial tuning with the transition from planning to execution. These results show that the avian NCL not only represents high-level sensory and cognitive task components, but also transforms behaviorally-relevant information into dynamic action plans and motor execution during the volitional perception-action cycle of birds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines data on the worldwide use of the shadow library website Sci‐Hub. It focuses particularly on the discipline of development studies, taking a critical look at current practices in scientific publishing and their implications for scientific conduct in this field. In the context of discussions about open science, the data demonstrate that Sci‐Hub represents an existing network of open access literature. The study first describes the extent and geographic distribution of download requests from Sci‐Hub and then identifies the underlying socio‐economic drivers (i.e. GDP and population). The authors find that Sci‐Hub is used the most by researchers from the global South, primarily from middle‐income countries, whereas researchers from the poorest countries in the data set use Sci‐Hub the least. This approach allows some conclusions to be drawn about factors that have an effect on a functioning open access network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although several nonhuman animals have the ability to recognize and match templates in computerized tasks, we know little about their ability to recall and then physically manufacture specific features of mental templates. Across three experiments, Goffin cockatoos (Cacatua goffiniana), a species that can use tools in captivity, were exposed to two pre-made template objects, varying in either colour, size (long or short) or shape (I or L-shaped), where only one template was rewarded. Birds were then given the opportunity to manufacture versions of these objects themselves. We found that all birds carved paper strips from the same colour material as the rewarded template, and half were also able to match the size of a template (long and short). This occurred despite the template being absent at test and birds being rewarded at random. However, we found no evidence that cockatoos could carve L-shaped pieces after learning that L-shaped templates were rewarded, though their manufactured strips were wider than in previous tests. Overall, our results show that Goffin cockatoos possess the ability to physically adjust at least the size dimension of manufactured objects relative to a mental template. This ability has previously only been shown in New Caledonian crows, where template matching was suggested as a potential mechanism allowing for the cumulative cultural transmission of tool designs. Our results show that within avian tool users, the ability to recreate a physical template from memory does not seem to be restricted to species that have cumulative tool cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earlier evidence suggests that besides humans, some species of mammals and birds demonstrate visual self-recognition, assessed by the controversial "mark" test. Whereas, there are high levels of inter-individual differences amongst a single species, some species such as macaques and pigeons which do not spontaneously demonstrate mirror self-recognition (MSR) can be trained to do so. We were surprised to discover that despite being widely used as a model system for avian research, the performance of zebra finches (Taenopygia guttata) on the mark test had not been studied earlier. Additionally, we studied the behavioral responses of another species of passerine songbirds (Indian house crows; Corvus splendens) to a mirror and the MSR mark test. Although a small number of adult male zebra finches appeared to display heightened responses toward the mark while observing their reflections, we could not rule out the possibility that these were a part of general grooming rather than specific to the mark. Furthermore, none of the house crows demonstrated mark-directed behavior or increased self-exploratory behaviors when facing mirrors. Our study suggests that self-directed behaviors need to be tested more rigorously in adult male zebra finches while facing their reflections and these findings need to be replicated in a larger population, given the high degree of variability in mirror-directed behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

E. coli is a Gram negative bacterium, although it is normal intestinal inhabitant but some strains due to their virulence genes play a major role in causing diarrhea in birds. In the present study, a total of 150 fecal swabs from (crows, egret wild birds and broiler chicken) collected from Giza, Fayoum city governorates, (50 each). The result showed, that isolation rate of E.coli was reported to be isolated in higher incidence in Fayoum governorate from crows, 48%, broiler chicken, 40% and egret wild birds 28% while Giza Governorate in where E.coli was isolated from crows, egret wild birds and broiler chicken, an incidence of 20%, 12% and 20% respectively. The serogroups of E. coli strains that obtained by serological identification were from crows (O78, O91, O145, O127, O158, O119, O125 and O55), egret bird (O78, O158, O125, O119, O91 and O44) and chicken broiler (O78, O125 and O158). The results of sensitivity test for some E. coli isolates showed that they were highly resistant for to streptomycin (83.4%66.4%and 42.8%) in (crows, egret birds and broiler chicken) respectively. The results of multiplex PCR showed that phoA, virulence gene was detected in all E.coli serogroups while, Stx2, gene was detected in serogroups O78, O91 and O125 in crows only. (hly, eaeA and Stx1) virulence genes were not detected in all tested E. coli sergroups. On the other hand aadA1 gene was detected by some E. coli strains (7from crows and 2 from egret). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How does school quality affect health amid multiple behavioral responses? The Rosenwald schools transformed school quality for rural southern African Americans in the early 1900s. Research shows that the schools made black migration northward more likely and that the Great Migration shortened life expectancy for these migrants. Besides the hypothesized health-enhancing effects of school quality, negative health effects might also occur through migration. We disentangle behavioral mechanisms and find complete exposure to the Rosenwald schools increased life expectancy by 2–3 months; a more naive approach finds no relationship. Results are robust to heterogeneous treatment effects and various measurement issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews the book Little Buddhas: Children and Childhoods in Buddhist Texts and Traditions. It first gives an overview of the contents, altogether nineteen articles discussing children and childhood in Buddhist texts and traditions. Subsequently, the concepts of kākuṭṭepaka pabbajjā and upāsaka pravrajyā , presented in one of the articles, are discussed in more detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A widely distributed urban bird, the house crow (Corvus splendens), was used to assess bioavailable heavy metals in urban and rural environments across Pakistan. Bioaccumulation of arsenic (As), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), chromium (Cr), and copper (Cu) was investigated in wing feathers of 96 crows collected from eight locations and categorized into four groups pertaining to their geographical and environmental similarities. Results revealed that the concentrations of Pb, Ni, Mn, Cu, and Cr were positively correlated and varied significantly among the four groups. Zn, Fe, Cr, and Cu regarded as industrial outputs, were observed in birds both in industrialized cities and in adjoining rural agricultural areas irrigated through the Indus Basin Irrigation System. Birds in both urban regions accrued Pb more than the metal toxicity thresholds for birds. The house crow was ranked in the middle on the metal accumulation levels in feathers between highly accumulating raptor and piscivore and less contaminated insectivore and granivore species in the studied areas,. This study suggests that the house crow is an efficient bioindicator and supports the feasibility of using feathers to discriminate the local pollution differences among terrestrial environments having different levels and kinds of anthropogenic activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the time of pandemic, those famous passages keep reappearing in my head: "The following... were the measures to be taken when the plague appeared in a town"... all prohibitions to be followed on "pain of death" ([2]: 195). The insurrection of subjugated knowledges for Foucault was directed against the primary institutions of the social order, in our moment, the police, jails, and prisons. [Extracted from the article]

Outgroup threat has been identified as an important driver of ingroup cohesion in humans, but the evolutionary origin of such a relationship is unclear. Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) in the wild are notably aggressive towards outgroup members but coordinate complex behaviors with many individuals in group hunting and border patrols. One hypothesis claims that these behaviors evolve alongside one another, where outgroup threat selects for ingroup cohesion and group coordination. To test this hypothesis, 5 groups of chimpanzees (N = 29 individuals) were observed after hearing either pant-hoots of unfamiliar wild chimpanzees or control crow vocalizations both in their typical daily environment and in a context of induced feeding competition. We observed a behavioral pattern that was consistent both with increased stress and vigilance (self-directed behaviors increased, play decreased, rest decreased) and increased ingroup cohesion (interindividual proximity decreased, aggression over food decreased, and play during feeding competition increased). These results support the hypothesis that outgroup threat elicits ingroup tolerance in chimpanzees. This suggests that in chimpanzees, like humans, competition between groups fosters group cohesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Very few animals habitually manufacture and use tools. It has been suggested that advanced tool behaviour co‐evolves with a suite of behavioural, morphological and life history traits. In fact, there are indications for such an adaptive complex in tool‐using crows (genus Corvus species). Here, we sequenced the genomes of two habitually tool‐using and ten non‐tool‐using crow species to search for genomic signatures associated with a tool‐using lifestyle. Using comparative genomic and population genetic approaches, we screened for signals of selection in protein‐coding genes in the tool‐using New Caledonian and Hawaiian crows. While we detected signals of recent selection in New Caledonian crows near genes associated with bill morphology, our data indicate that genetic changes in these two lineages are surprisingly subtle, with little evidence at present for convergence. We explore the biological explanations for these findings, such as the relative roles of gene regulation and protein‐coding changes, as well as the possibility that statistical power to detect selection in recently diverged lineages may have been insufficient. Our study contributes to a growing body of literature aiming to decipher the genetic basis of recently evolved complex behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crow search optimizer is considered as the latest meta-heuristic algorithm that is influenced by crow's behavior. The proposed oppositional crow search optimizer (OCSO) is intended here, for solving the intentional islanding problem. This paper has proposed a novel two-step method by considering the most significant factors such as the constraints of line capacity, bus voltage, load priority, load controllability, problem occurred due to spacing of solutions as well as the capability of integrating the islands to produce higher intentional islands. Initially, the tree knapsack problem is considered as an intentional islanding issue and therefore the OCSO algorithm is employed in solving such shortcomings. In OCSO approach, the opposition-based generation jumping and population initialization concept are used in crow search optimizer for improving the convergence profile and computational speed. In next process, island feasibility is verified by means of conducting power flow computation and providing significant modifications. Six distributed generations containing IEEE 69-bus test system are employed in validating experimentally the efficiency of the proposed approach, and comparison was done for the obtained results with the other existing approaches. The comparative analysis is evaluated to enhance the level of reliability, particularly critical load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In group-living animals, the social environment is thought to affect the probability of parasite transmission. Here, I investigate relationships between social behaviour and gastrointestinal parasite product excretion in the carrion crow (Corvus corone). Individuals from a population of non-cooperatively breeding carrion crows excreted less samples containing coccidian oocysts when kept in larger groups (8 or 9 individuals) compared to those individuals kept in smaller groups (2 or 3 individuals). Lower-ranking individuals excreted more samples containing parasite oocysts compared to higher-ranking individuals. The strength of affiliative relationships and number of related individuals in the group did not relate to the proportion of droppings containing coccidian oocysts. The present results confirm an association between social environment and parasite excretion patterns in carrion crows, but the patterns described in the present study differ from previously published data derived from a group of cooperatively breeding crows. This illustrates that differences between the social systems of carrion crows might result in different associations between the social environment and parasite product excretion patterns. Significance statement: One major cost of group living is increased susceptibility to parasites. Not all individuals are affected by this in the same way. A better understanding of the relationship between social behaviour and parasite burden can help to better understand evolution of group living. I investigate associations between dominance rank, affiliative relationships, group size, and gastrointestinal parasite product excretion in a group of captive carrion crows. Lower-ranking individuals excreted more samples containing parasite oocysts compared to higher-ranking individuals, confirming an association between social relationships and parasite excretion patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This short paper looks again at an intriguing pattern in Charlotte Brontë's imagining of corvids in Jane Eyre (1847), suggesting that these creatures are indications of a particular, and very probably unconscious, imaginative habit in the novel. The birds appear in the text at crucial moments as if they are closely associated in Charlotte's mind with important turns in the plot. The end of the paper considers the subtle implications of these creatures of the air for the novel's wider interest in the air itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contrasting findings made it unclear what cognitive processes New Caledonian crows use to procure suitable tools to solve tool tasks. Most previous studies suggested that their tool procurement is achieved by either trial and error or a simple heuristic. The latter provides a fast and cognitively efficient method for stable, routinized behaviour based on past experience with little or no deliberate decision-making. However, early papers by Chappell and Kacelnik reported that two New Caledonian crows procured tools after closely assessing the tool characteristics required for the task, thus using deliberate decision-making, or a 'customized strategy'. Here, I tested eight New Caledonian crows to determine their default behaviour in basic tool procurement tasks as a check on whether or not they use customized strategies. I used two rigorous experiments closely based on Chappell and Kacelnik's experiments. The crows did not use a customized strategy in either experiment, but their behaviour was clearly consistent with tool procurement predominantly guided by a familiarity heuristic. I discuss potential methodological issues that may have led to different conclusions in Chappell and Kacelnik's studies. Heuristic-guided, routinized behaviour in tool procurement has potential implications for understanding how standardization occurs in the early evolution of complex tool manufacture, both in New Caledonian crows and early humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has shown that human adults can easily discriminate 2 individual zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) by their signature songs, struggle to discriminate 2 individual rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) by their calls, and are unable to discriminate 2 individual dogs (Canis familiaris) by their barks. The purpose of the present experiment was to examine whether acoustic discrimination of individual nonprimate heterospecifics is limited to species producing stereotyped signature songs or whether it is possible with the vocalizations of other species as well. This was tested here with the calls of individual large-billed crows (Corvus macrorhynchos) and the meows of individual domestic cats (Felis catus) using a forced-choice same-different paradigm. Results show a high discrimination accuracy without prior training, although the scores obtained here for both species were lower than those in the zebra finch discrimination task. Discrimination accuracy of cat voices decreased when mean pitch was equalized between individuals but was still possible without this cue. The removal of formant frequencies did not influence the discrimination, and there was no significant performance improvement across trials. These experiments suggest that individual acoustic discrimination is possible not only with species producing signature songs but also with unlearned vocalizations of both birds and nonhuman mammals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was carried out on the oropharyngeal cavity of the hooded crow to investigate the gross and microscopic structures via gross anatomy, light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The gross anatomy clarified the elongated triangular shape of the oropharyngeal cavity with a non‐protruding tongue with a bifid apex. The lingual body contained median groove rostrally and separated caudally from the root by a transverse papillary crest. The laryngeal mound located posterior to the lingual root, contained midline laryngeal cleft and bounded caudally by a transverse row of pharyngeal papillae. The palate contained choanal cleft rostrally and infundibular slit caudally in addition to five palatine ridges. By light microscopy, the dorsal lingual epithelium was highly keratinised stratified squamous with a lingual nail in the most rostral part of the apex. Then, the thickness of the keratin layer decreased caudally, while in the ventral surface, the lining epithelium became non‐keratinised. The entoglossum supported the lingual body and root, but not extended to the apex. The lining epithelium of the palate was also keratinised stratified squamous and became none‐keratinised at the oral side of the choanal cleft. There were numerous lobules of polystomatic salivary glands in the lingual root and the palate. SEM revealed the arrangement of different types of papillae covering both the floor and the roof of the oropharynx besides numerous openings of salivary glands in the lingual root, laryngeal mound and the palate. These findings reflect the functional relationship of the oropharyngeal cavity of the hooded crow during feeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]