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Earlier studies have demonstrated that domestic poultry sold in the live markets throughout Bangladesh carry a wide range of avian influenza virus (AIV) strains. Poultry sold at the market are usually slaughtered on site and the offal is disposed of without any containment. As a result, crows get exposed to this potentially infected waste. Here, we are presenting the mortality events among crows from 2008-2019. From 2008 to 2018, a total of 11 events of crow mortality were identified in different places in Bangladesh. Reports from different newspapers, abstracts presented in different conferences, and published manuscripts were included. In 2008 mortality event was reported from Patuakhali, Dinajpur, and Chittagong, in 2011 from Barisal, Patuakhali, and Dhaka, in 2016 from Rajshahi and Natore, in 2017 from Rajshahi and Dhaka, and in 2018 from Rajshahi and Jessore. Published reports of outbreak investigation from six sites were reported: at Patuakhali and Dhaka in 2011, at Rajshahi in 2016, at Dhaka and Rajshahi in 2017, and at Rajshahi in 2017 and 2018. All the crow mortality events took place during the winter months. Cloacal and tracheal swabs from dead and morbid crows and pooled environmental swabs from surrounding live bird markets in case of all outbreak investigations were tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 through RT-PCR. Proper disposal of poultry waste and improved biosecurity in the live bird market may break the pathway of viral transmission from poultry to crows. We cannot roll out the probability of spreading this virus to other birds like poultry and to even humans as the crow is a common ubiquitous bird of Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: OnabotulinumtoxinA is approved in the Republic of Korea for the treatment of moderate-to-severe crow's feet lines (CFL) and glabellar lines (GL), separately or in combination. We assessed safety and effectiveness of onabotulinumtoxinA in real-world clinical practice. Patient and methods: This 4-year postmarketing surveillance study was conducted in the Republic of Korea in subjects with moderate-to-severe CFL. Subjects aged 18 to 75 years received onabotulinumtoxinA injections for CFL alone or in combination with GL. Safety assessments included adverse events (AEs), serious AEs (SAEs), and unexpected AEs (not noted in Korean prescribing information). Investigators assessed effectiveness via change from baseline in CFL. Results: The full analysis set comprised 695 subjects; 667 were in the safety set and 376 in the effectiveness set. In the safety set, mean ± SD age was 40.9±13.0 years; most subjects (87.3%) were female. More subjects were treated for CFL (69.9%) than CFL and GL simultaneously (30.1%). Eleven subjects experienced 14 AEs; 12 were mild in severity and 11 resolved without sequelae. Two cases of injection site pain in 2 subjects each were deemed possibly related to onabotulinumtoxinA. One unexpected SAE (acute renal failure) occurred in 1 subject (0.15%). All unexpected AEs (n=4) were mild and considered unrelated to treatment. Overall change from baseline showed CFL was improved in 375 subjects (99.7%) and unchanged in 1 subject (0.3%). Conclusion: OnabotulinumtoxinA was well tolerated and effective for treatment of CFL with or without GL in a real-world Korean population. No new safety concerns were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper lays down a formal framework for simultaneous scheduling of machines, automated-guided vehicles (AGVs) and tools in a multi-machine flexible manufacturing system (FMS) while accounting for transport times of parts to minimise makespan. To minimise tooling costs, a central tool magazine (CTM) is suggested so that the tools are 'shared'. AGVs and tool transporter (TT) carry jobs and tools between machines. The complexity of including sequencing of job operations on machines, assignment of AGVs and tools to job operations and corresponding trip operations such as the empty trip and loaded trip times of AGVs and a CTM in scheduling is greater. The scope of this paper is to propose a nonlinear Mixed Integer Programming (MIP) model to minimise makespan. Since the problem is known to be NP hard, it is conjectured and then verified that the intelligent behaviour of crows can be effectively used to lay down a metaheuristic algorithm known as a crow search algorithm (CSA) suitable for the problem at hand, and the results have been tabulated and analysed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are widely employed for sensing and collecting the data of an environment from a remote area and are used for a variety of engineering applications. The data transfer between the nodes is enabled using the routing protocols that face huge challenge in terms of energy. With energy as an effective constraint, the energy-aware routing is proposed using the optimal cluster head selection procedure. The proposed method of selecting the optimal cluster head is performed using Multi-Objective Taylor Crow Optimization (MOTCO) algorithm that is the combination of the Taylor series and the Crow Search Algorithm (CSA). The proposed objective function is based on the distance between the nodes in the cluster, energy of the nodes, traffic density of the cluster, and the delay in transmitting the data packets. The designed objective function is tuned for a minimum value and the cluster head corresponding to the minimum value of the objective function becomes the optimal cluster head. The simulation is carried out by considering 50 nodes and 100 nodes in the WSN environment for analysis. The analysis proves that the proposed MOTCO outperforms the existing methods by attaining the network energy and throughput at a maximum value of 10% and 65% at the 2000th round. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to large number of decision variables and several hydraulic constraints, optimal design of water distribution networks (WDNs) is considered as one of the most complex optimization problems. This paper introduces and applies a new optimization approach, improved crow search algorithm (ICSA), based on the improvement of original crow search algorithm (CSA) by adding an operator parameter. Both approaches (i.e., CSA and ICSA) were applied to two case studies (i.e., Two-Reservoir and Khorramshahr City networks) by linking the hydraulic simulator (e.g., EPANET 2.0). The proposed ICSA saved the total construction cost by 2.16% and 1.79% for the Two-Reservoir and Khorramshahr City networks compared to the original CSA based on optimal network design, respectively. Results revealed that the proposed ICSA provided outstanding design for the both WDNs compared to previous studies and original CSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the oxymoron is part of stylistic devices group and has a history which is no less prolific compared to the other devices of this group, it has been marginalized, even ignored by lexicologists and the ones dealing with stylistics. The lexicographers mistook it with the antithesis or with the paradox, considering the former as an artificial construction where the notions are opposed within an expressive contradiction. Still we have insist that the oxymoron always involves two terms (white crow, seeing blind/ blind seer, sad smile), while the paradox involves ideas (two at least) that seem antagonistic. The paradox as a stylistic device has been used by philosophers, all possible schools of thought and movements at all times, yet the oxymoron would emerge later as a result of stylistic and artistic researches. The materials that we would like to present to the philological audience, showcases the disclosure of the mechanism related to the oxymoron "bang". We are going to attempt to prove that the secret of the aforementioned stylistic device is a matter of lexical and semantic synthesis of two contradictory terms and having as a result either a semantic "masterpiece" or a brutal antinomy, often unjustified by the functional style it is part of. We also think of compiling a mini-glossary of oxymorons in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper I'trying to show that there is a relationship between rock art, a site where rock art is placed and the wider landscape, articulated according to the Camunian "mindscape" in Valcamonica, Italy. In particular, I believe rock art may be regarded, making Lødøen's felicitous phrase my own, as a 'consumption of souls' within an animistic understanding of the world. I think the importance of mining copper and iron in relation to petroglyphs in Valcamonica has been underestimated so far, and I have tried to show its strong symbolic relationships. I believe I have made quite clear the symbolical connections between a certain type of landscape, a gulch with a strong hydrocentric focus, thundering noises, mining, metallurgy and deer, thanks to linguistic analysis, which shows how the same kind of landscape and similar mythologies can be found over an extremely wide territory. We do not know what the religious beliefs of the ancient Camunians were, similarities with neighboring populations aside, but linguistic analysis, anthropological as well as archaeological comparison and the study of both local folklore and archaic Aegean beliefs, allows us to hypothesize a more detailed picture of the Camunian thought in the Iron Age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Identification of H5N8 highly Pathogen Avian Influenza Virus from Hooded crow (Corvus cornix) in a national park located at Esfehan province in Iran. • Based on HA sequencing results, it belongs to 2.3.4.4 clade, and the cleavage site is (PLREKRRKR/G). • Complete genome characterization of this virus revealed probable reassortment of the virus with East-Asian low-pathogenic influenza viruses. • A mutation at antibody binding site of hemagglutinin A201E of Aghakhan revealed the probable initialization for antigenic drift of this virus. • Phenotypic markers related to the increased potential for transmission and pathogenicity to mammals were observed. During 2014–2017 Clade 2.3.4.4 H5N8 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) have spread worldwide. In 2016, an epidemic of HPAIV H5N8 in Iran caused mass deaths among wild birds, and several commercial poultry farms and captive bird holdings were affected and continue to experience problems. Several outbreaks were reported in 2017. One of them is related to Hooded crow (Corvus cornix) in a national park in Esfahan province in 2017. Whole genome sequencing and characterization have been done on the detected H5N8 sample. Based on HA sequencing results, it belongs to 2.3.4.4 clade, and the cleavage site is (PLREKRRKR/G). Phylogenetic analysis of the HA gene showed that the Iran 2017 H5N8 virus clustered within subgroup Russia 2016 2.3.4.4 b of group B in H5 clade 2.3.4.4 HPAIV. On the other hand, the NA gene of the virus is placed in group C of Eurasian lineage. Complete genome characterization of this virus revealed probable reassortment of the virus with East-Asian low-pathogenic influenza viruses. Furthermore, the virus possessed some phenotypic markers related to the increased potential for transmission and pathogenicity to mammals at internal segments. This study is the first full genome characterization H5N8 HPAIV in Iran. The data complete the puzzle of molecular epidemiology of H5N8 HPAIV in Iran and the region. Our study provides evidence for fast and continuing reassortment of H5 clade 2.3.4.4 viruses, that might lead to changes in virus structural and functional characteristics such as the route and method of transmission of the virus and virus infective, pathogenic and zoonotic potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For most research on birds in the wild, catching and marking of individuals is essential. Corvids may be difficult to catch due to their neophobia and good learning abilities; moreover, different catching methods may target specific social classes. We investigated the success of two different catching methods, Ladder trap and Larsen trap, over the course of a five-year research program on crows (Corvus corone, C. cornix and their intergrades) conducted in Vienna, Austria. Ladder traps were highly effective in catching non-breeders and migrants whereas Larsen traps were useful for catching territorial birds. Catching success with Ladder traps was highest during the breeding season and shortly thereafter, but only if catching efforts were restricted to this period. If the traps were active year round, catching success declined, possibly because crows became trap shy. The number of crows present was not significantly correlated with catching success. Crows that entered the traps together tended to be observed foraging together, indicating that the traps probably represent foraging opportunities that are shared by associated individuals. Taken together, these findings may provide valuable hints to researchers planning to catch these species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the optimization of ultrasound-aided transesterification process variables for the synthesis of polyol ester-based biolubricant. A response surface methodology based on Box–Behnken design coupled with crow search algorithm methodology was adopted to optimize the ultrasonicated transesterification process variables such as an ultrasonic pulse, amplitude, catalyst concentration, and reaction temperature in order to maximize the yield percentage of polyol ester. The formation of pentaerythritol ester was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and gas chromatography. The significant properties of the new formulation were compared with synthetic grade compressor oil. Improved yield of 81.4% of pentaerythritol ester was accomplished with an ultrasonic pulse of 15 s, an ultrasonic amplitude of 60%, a catalyst concentration of 1.5 wt%, and the reaction temperature of 100 °C. This optimization study suggested that ultrasonicated successive transesterification process is an effective method in substituting conventional successive transesterification process for the synthesis of pentaerythritol ester-based biolubricant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nectar from plants is a particularly important food source for a number of bird families. Here, 4 observations of nectar foraging by family groups of Little Ravens (Corvus mellori), a species only recently recorded as consuming nectar, are described. There are few details of nectarivory in the major reviews of the Corvidae, but this behavior has been recorded for 11 of the approximately 45 species of Corvus worldwide and is summarized here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information on the dissemination of antibiotic resistance mechanisms in the environment as well as wild life is needed in North America. A constructed wetland (where ∼15,000 American crows roost) was sampled on the University of Washington Bothell Campus for the presence of antibiotic resistant E. coli (ARE). Crow droppings from individual birds and grab samples of water were collected in 2014–2015. E. coli were isolated by selective agar plating. The most frequent antibiotic resistance (AR) of the fecal isolates was to ampicillin (AMP) (53%), followed by amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (AMC) (45%), streptomycin (S) (40%), and nalidixic acid (NA) (33%). Water isolates had similar AR pattern and ∼40% were multidrug resistant. Isolates from water samples collected during storm events showed higher resistance than isolates from no rain days to tetracycline, AMP, AMC, NA, and gentamycin. Extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL) containing E. coli with the bla ctx-M was found in three water and nine fecal isolates while bla cmy-2 in 19 water and 16 fecal isolates. Multilocus Sequence Typing analysis (MLST) yielded 13 and 12 different sequence types (STs) amongst fecal and water isolates, many of which could be correlated to livestock, bird, and humans. MLST identified ESBL E. coli belonging to the clinically relevant ST131 clone in six fecal and one water isolate. Three STs found in feces could be found in water on the same dates of collection but not subsequently. Thus, the strains do not appear to survive for long in the wetland. Phylogenetic analysis revealed similar distribution of the water and fecal isolates among the different phylo-groups, with the majority belonging to the commensal B1 phylo-group, followed by the pathogenic B2 phylo-group. This study demonstrates that corvids can be reservoirs and vectors of ARE and pathogenic E. coli , posing a significant environmental threat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African White-backed vultures Gyps africanus are Critically Endangered, mainly due to mortality from poisoning, but the species also exhibits variable breeding productivity that may partially be explained by nest failure due to predation. Pied crows Corvus albus have been implicated as nest predators, but because there is no evidence linking Pied crows to low breeding productivity of White-backed vultures, we used a combination of dummy eggs (n = 14) and camera traps on active nests (n = 10), to investigate what species visit White-backed vulture nests (both active and abandoned) and predate on their eggs. We recorded 47 egg predation events, of which 37 (79%) were attributable to Pied crows, while other predators (unidentified large raptors, White-backed vultures and Vervet monkeys) were recorded interacting with eggs 5 times in total; mobbing by Pied crows of incubating vultures increased the probability vultures would abandon their nest but crows did not eat abandoned eggs as soon as they were available. Further studies are needed across a wider range of vulture breeding areas to contextualise these findings both in terms of breeding productivity and the significant risks of mortality faced by vultures from poisoning and other threats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Crow and the Pitcher, a classic Aesop's fable, has surprisingly (re)captured the interest of comparative cognition scientists in the past decade. These researchers examine whether corvids (e.g., rooks, crows, and jays) can complete a laboratory analog of the fable by training the corvids to drop stones and other similar objects into tubes of water to retrieve floating worms. This Aesop's Fable Paradigm is argued to be an experimental method that can prove corvids have the ability to engage in complex causal reasoning—implying that they understand something fairly rich about the ideas of volume and water displacement. However, critiques—including our own meta-analysis—suggest that corvids' behaviors in this paradigm could be explained by trial-and-error learning combined with an instinctive, initial preference for functional objects rather than complex causal reasoning. With this line of research as the case example, we explore historical and sociocultural factors in the field of psychology that incentivizes scientific research that tells a "good story." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For all the familiarity of the Aesopic fable of the Crow and the Pitcher, at least in Anglophone lands, no scholarly study of it has ever been made. A survey of the ancient texts reveals some surprising results. First, the early narrators relate the bird's actions mostly as an actual occurrence rather than as a folktale. Second, only toward the end of antiquity did some unknown author convert the narrative of the crow into a fable and invent a moral for it. How did it become a fable? The present essay illustrates how ancient makers of fable books went about their work, collecting and retelling traditional fables but also remaking narratives of other kinds into fables. Once the narrative of the Crow and the Pitcher was recast as a fable, it became a staple of written fable collections and has frequently been given visual treatment by illustrators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the dates of arrival of the grey crow at the latitude of the Arctic Circle (the city of Labytnanga) for the period 1970–2016. The dynamics of the dates of arrival of the grey crow were revealed to have stable long-term trends of different directions, which reflect different climatic events that took place in these years. The dates of arrival of the grey crow were found to be correlated with the dynamics of the average temperatures in April and the average daily temperature on the day of the onset of migration with a delay of 1–2 years. It was established that the lower the air temperature in the previous spring, the earlier the first crows arrived. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combinatorial testing strategies are the recent interest of the researchers because of their wide variety of applications. The combinatorial testing strategy posses a great deal of minimizing the count of the input parameters of a system such that a small set of parameters is obtained depending on their interaction. Practically, the input models of the software system are subjected to the constraints mainly in highly configurable systems. There exist a number of issues while integrating the constraint in the testing strategy that is overcome using the proposed method. The proposed method aims at developing the combinatorial interaction test suites in the presence of constraints. The proposed strategy is multi-objective crow search and fruitfly optimization that is developed by the integration of the crow search algorithm and the chaotic fruitfly optimization algorithm. The proposed algorithm offers an optimal selection of the test suites at the better convergence. The experimentation based on the constraints and the analysis are carried out in terms of average size and average time with their values as 10 and 30 s, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this study, the capability of recently introduced crow search algorithm (CSA) was evaluated for structural optimization problems. It is observed that the standard CSA was led to undesirable performance for solving structural optimization problems. Accordingly, three modifications were made on the standard CSA to obtain the enhanced crow search algorithm (ECSA) while no parameter was added to the ECSA. First, each violated decision variable was replaced by corresponding decision variable of the global best solution. Second, a free-fly mechanism was suggested for constraint handling. Third, the personal upper bound strategy (PUBS) was proposed for elimination of inessential structural analyses. To assess the efficacy of the proposed modifications, four popular benchmark structures were employed and each modification was added to the CSA in a separate stage and then its effects were illustrated. The results of benchmark structures were examined in terms of minimum weight, convergence rate, and reliability. The results confirmed that the ECSA was significantly better than the standard CSA. Moreover, the ECSA obtained better or very competitive results in comparison with well-known and other newly developed metaheuristic methods. Highlights • Crow search algorithm (CSA) is employed to optimize structures for the first time. • Three simple mechanisms are added to significantly improve the algorithm. • Enhanced optimizer (ECSA) has only two parameters similar to the original CSA. • The ECSA is compared with well-known and recently developed metaheuristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pecking in birds is analogous to reaching and grasping movements in primates. Earlier studies on visuomotor control in birds, which were conducted mostly in pigeons, suggested that avian pecking is controlled feedforwardly, and is out of the control of visual guidance during movement. However, recent studies using crows suggested a role of vision in pecking control during movement. To unveil what visuomotor mechanisms underlie the flexibility of pecking in crows, we examined whether pigeons and crows adjust their pecking to the visual distortion induced by prisms. Because prisms induce visual shifts of object positions, birds were required to adjust their movements. Pecking kinematics were examined before and after attaching prisms in front of the birds' eyes. Analysis of lateral deviation caused by the prisms showed that crows rapidly adjusted their pecking trajectories, but pigeons did so slowly. Angular displacement also increased in pigeons after attachment of the prism, but decreased in crows. These responses to prisms were consistent among individuals in pigeons but varied in crows, though the adjustment of pecking commonly succeeded in crows. These results suggest that pecking in pigeons predominantly involves feedforward control and that the movement is determined depending on the visual information available before the initiation of pecking. In contrast, the results from crows suggest that their pecking trajectories are corrected during the movement, supporting on-line visual control. Our findings provide the first evidence to suggest the on-line visual control of pecking in birds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pecking in birds is analogous to reaching and grasping movements in primates. Earlier studies on visuomotor control in birds, which were conducted mostly in pigeons, suggested that avian pecking is controlled feedforwardly, and is out of the control of visual guidance during movement. However, recent studies using crows suggested a role of vision in pecking control during movement. To unveil what visuomotor mechanisms underlie the flexibility of pecking in crows, the current study examined whether pigeons and crows adjust their pecking to the visual distortion induced by prisms. Because prisms induce visual shifts of object positions, birds were required to adjust their movements. Pecking kinematics were examined before and after attaching prisms in front of the birds' eyes. Analysis of lateral deviation caused by the prisms showed that crows rapidly adjusted their pecking trajectories, but pigeons did slowly. Angular displacement also increased in pigeons after attachment of the prism but decreased in crows. These responses to prisms were consistent among individuals in pigeons but varied in crows, though the adjustment of pecking commonly succeeded in crows. These results suggest that pecking in pigeons predominantly involves feedforward control and that the movement is determined depending on the visual information available before the initiation of pecking. In contrast, the results from crows suggest that their pecking trajectories are corrected during the movement, supporting on-line visual control. Our findings were the first evidence to suggest the on-line visual control of pecking in birds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humans use a variety of cues to infer an object's weight, including how easily objects can be moved. For example, if we observe an object being blown down the street by the wind, we can infer that it is light. Here, we tested whether New Caledonian crows make this type of inference. After training that only one type of object (either light or heavy) was rewarded when dropped into a food dispenser, birds observed pairs of novel objects (one light and one heavy) suspended from strings in front of an electric fan. The fan was either on--creating a breeze which buffeted the light, but not the heavy, object--or off, leaving both objects stationary. In subsequent test trials, birds could drop one, or both, of the novel objects into the food dispenser. Despite having no opportunity to handle these objects prior to testing, birds touched the correct object (light or heavy) first in 73% of experimental trials, andwere at chance in control trials. Our results suggest that birds used pre-existing knowledge about the behaviour exhibited by differently weighted objects in the wind to infer their weight, using this information to guide their choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a brief background on the Bracero Program and on the context that gave rise to an investigation into racial discrimination against Mexican workers in Arkansas. It provide ideas about to engage students with historical event; and also highlights struggling of Mexico with high unemployment.

Among the fossils extracted from middle Eocene freshwater limestone at Black Crow, Namibia, are a lower molar and a maxilla with three teeth that are interpreted to belong to a primitive Chrysochloridea (Golden Moles). The specimens are too small to belong to Diamantochloris inconcessus but are similar in dimensions to a previously listed but un-named chrysochlorid tooth from the site. The material is here attributed to a new genus and species and its significance for understanding the homogeneity of Afrotheria is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2019 campaign of acid treatment of Eocene freshwater limestone from Black Crow, Namibia, resulted in the recovery of a minuscule mandible of an insectivoran-grade mammal representing a new genus and species of Tenrecomorpha. The specimen is the smallest mammal described from the fossil record from Africa. From the incisor alveoli to the rear end of the angle, the jaw measures a mere 8.6 mm. The jaw is relatively complete, but has lost the incisors, canine and p/2. It shows several characters that link it to the suborder Tenrecomorpha. In some morphological features it recalls Tenrecidae, in others Potamogalidae. The new genus and species throws doubt on the homogeneity of the order Afroinsectiphilia, which in its turn renders doubtful the concept of Afrotheria as currently understood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2019 an adult mandible of Namahyrax corvus was discovered during acid treatment of limestone blocks from Site A at Black Crow (Ypresian/Lutetian) Namibia. The specimen confirms the peculiar morphology of the symphysis already observed in a juvenile specimen from the same site and it reveals a reduced dental formula (tendency to suppress i/3, suppression of the permanent lower canine) and the presence of elongated diastemata between the i/2 and the p/1. The long gap between the incisors and the anterior cheek tooth indicates that food acquisition was distinct from mastication. The symphysis is weakly fused posteriorly despite the fact that in this individual the m/3 is fully erupted and in light wear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adapisoriculidae is a family of primitive small mammals known from India, Europe and Northern Africa ranging in age from Late Cretaceous to early Eocene. The 2019 sample of limestone from Black Crow, Namibia, yielded an upper molar which is interpreted to belong to this enigmatic family, thereby greatly extending the geographic range of the group. The specimen is described and illustrated but is left in open nomenclature, pending recovery of more complete remains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social complexity arises from the formation of social relationships like social bonds and dominance hierarchies. In turn, these aspects may be affected by the degree of fission–fusion dynamics, i.e. changes in group size and composition over time. Whilst fission–fusion dynamics has been studied in mammals, birds have received comparably little attention, despite some species having equally complex social lives. Here, we investigated the influence of environmental factors on aspects of fission–fusion dynamics in a free-ranging population of carrion and hooded crows (Corvus corone ssp.) in the urban zoo of Vienna, Austria over a 1-year period. We investigated 1) the size and 2) spatio-temporal structure of the local flock, and 3) environmental influences on local flock and subgroup size. The local flock size varied considerably over the year, with fewest birds being present during the breeding season. The spatio-temporal structure of the local flock showed 4 distinct presence categories, of which the proportions changed significantly throughout the year. Environmental effects on both local flock and subgroup size were time of day, season, temperature, and weather, with additional pronounced effects of the structure of the surroundings and age class on subgroup size. Our findings show environmental influences on party size at the local flock and subgroup level, as well as indications of structured party composition in respect to the 4 presence categories. These results suggest that environmental factors have significant effects on fission–fusion dynamics in free-ranging crows, thereby influencing social complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data clustering in wireless sensor network (WSN) is a prominent research area that ensures effective communication through satisfying the energy constraint. The traditional methods engaged themselves in collecting the data from the remote area using WSNs and communicating the data in such a way to enhance the lifetime of the network. However, the energy constraints are not met by the available methods in the literature. The paper concentrates on the hybrid optimization algorithm to tackle the cluster head selection optimally so as to assure the effective communication and energy-aware routing in WSNs. The hybrid optimization algorithm, named dolphin echolocation-based crow search algorithm, is the integration of dolphin echolocation algorithm and crow search algorithm such that the hybrid optimization assures the selection of cluster heads based on the multi-constraints effectively and with high convergence rate. The energy-aware routing is initiated in WSN using the proposed algorithm. Simulation is progressed in the WSN environment using 50, 75, and 100 nodes, and the proposed algorithm offered a better network lifetime with energy remaining in the node to be 0.0476 with 33 alive nodes at the end of 200 rounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gray crow stay at the Polar circle latitude in Western Siberia lasts approximately six months, from the beginning and middle of April to the beginning and middle of October. The timing of the arrival of the gray crow to the Lower Ob region shifted to earlier calendar dates from 1970–2017. The breeding season starts in May and lasts 2.5–3 months, until late July. Postbreeding moulting starts in June and is combined with the feeding of chicks, with an ending in September. The postjuvenile moulting starts at the age of 50–55 days, in August; it lasts 2.5–3 months until the middle and end of October and is combined with migration. The departure for wintering takes place in September and the first half of October. One-year-old birds stay in the wintering area in the basins of the Kama and Volga Rivers until March–April and return to the hatching region in April–May. The space of the East European Plain is the area where crows of the northern, northeastern, and eastern populations are concentrated in winter, replacing the nomadic and migratory areas of local populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contemporaneity, realism as a narrative form and approach is being quite commented on by the theory and the critics. In the Brazilian context, some specialized critics, when trying to delimit the contemporary, highlight realism in direct relation to the super exposition of violence, seen as one of the main themes of today. In that sense, expressions such as "brutalist" (BOSI, 2002) and "fierce realism" (CANDIDO, 2011), for example, brush the analyses of works that conjugate violence and realism. However, despite the profusion of narratives that are constructed upon this binomial, the proposition of this work is not to associate realism with marginality or violence. Through the reading of the novel Crow Blue, by Adriana Lisboa, published in 2010, we intend to work with the experience of what Schøllhammer identifies as "affective realism" (2002, 2004, 2011, 2013). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

President Donald Trump's pronouncement about ending birthright citizenship by executive order reveals the alt-right influence of the Claremont Institute on the administration. Their agenda, referred to in this article as the "Claremont Thesis," rests on a consensualist theory of the Fourteenth Amendment's Citizenship Clause and a revitalization of the Privileges or Immunities Clause. If adopted as public policy, it would establish a new form of "Jim Crow constitutionalism," or judicial or legislative efforts that create or sustain systemic inequalities. The article explores the Claremont Thesis in four parts: its theoretical basis, how its proponents stoke cultural animosities, a review of constitutional mechanisms intended to advance the agenda, and the efforts of politicians and jurists they hope will fulfill the agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract—: The early ontogeny of behavior of corvid juveniles in their natural habitat was studied, and the large-billed crow (Corvus macrorhynchos) taken as an example. Research was carried out from May to October, 2012, in a wildlife area (Malye Kurily Reserve, part of the Kuril'skii State Nature Biosphere Reserve, Shikotan Island) on a free-living population of these birds. Twenty-five individually marked chicks from ten broods were observed from the moment of their hatching (early June) to the beginning of September (the time when fledglings became independent). The results obtained allowed us to follow not only the development of individual forms of behavior in chicks, but also the process of their incorporation into the population's social structure. The development of the behavioral repertoire in large-billed crows in their natural habitat was shown to be identical to that of hooded crows. But in contrast to hooded crows, large-billed crows continue looking after their young even after the latter leave their nest territory. This may expand the capacities of social learning and skill transfer. Unlike the large-billed crow adults of the Shikotan population, in which aggression to their kin is very high, the young show no aggression to other juveniles. Moreover, we observed the formation of positive contacts between fledglings from different families during their play. This feature of fledgling behavior probably plays an important role in the incorporation of the young into the social structure of the population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microsporidia are eukaryotic, intracellular obligate parasites that widely involve many organisms including insects, fish, birds, and mammals. One of the genera of Microsporidia is Encephalitozoon, which contains several opportunistic pathogens. Since Encephalitozoon spp. are zoonotic and opportunistic pathogens, it is important to find their reservoir hosts; hence, the current study aimed at isolating and identifying Encephalitozoon spp. in the crows by the light microscopy observations and molecular methods. For this purpose, 36 samples were collected by the dropping method; however, due to the low volume of samples, the total samples were collected in a sterile stool container and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to detect Encephalitozoon spp. Accordingly, 300-bp bands, specific to Encephalitozoon spp., were observed and by sequencing E. intestinalis was identified. Crows can be considered as the hosts of E. intestinalis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]