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Long-term Monitoring (long-term + monitoring)
Terms modified by Long-term Monitoring Selected AbstractsLong-Term Monitoring and Identification of Bridge Structural ParametersCOMPUTER-AIDED CIVIL AND INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINEERING, Issue 2 2009Serdar Soyoz This three-span 111-m long bridge is instrumented with 13 acceleration sensors at both the superstructure and the columns. The sensor data are transmitted to a server computer wirelessly. Modal parameters of the bridge, that is, the frequencies and the modal shapes were identified by processing 1,707 vibration data sets collected under traffic excitations, based on which the bridge structural parameters, stiffness and mass, and the soil spring values were identified by employing the neural network technique. The identified superstructure stiffness at the beginning of the monitoring was 97% of the stiffness value based on the design drawings. In the identified modal frequencies, a variation from ,10% to +10% was observed over the monitoring period. In the identified stiffness values of the bridge superstructure, a variation from ,3% to +3% was observed over the monitoring period. Based on the statistical analysis of the collected data for each year, 5% decrease in the first modal frequency and 2% decrease in the superstructure stiffness were observed over the 5-year monitoring period. Probability density functions were obtained for stiffness values each year. Stiffness threshold values for the collapse of the bridge under the operational loading can be determined. Then the number of years can be assessed for which the area under the proposed probability density functions is greater than the threshold value. So the information obtained in this study is valuable for studying aging and long-term performance assessment of similar bridges. [source] Estimating survival and movements using both live and dead recoveries: a case study of oystercatchers confronted with habitat changeJOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2009Olivier Duriez Summary 1Animals facing partial habitat loss can try to survive in the remaining habitat or emigrate. Effects on survival and movements should be studied simultaneously since survival rates may be underestimated if emigrants are not considered, and since emigrants may experience reduced survival. 2We analysed movements and survival of adult wintering oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus in response to the 1986,1987 partial closure of the Oosterschelde in the Dutch Delta. This reduced by one-third the tidal area of this major European wintering area for waders. 3We developed a novel variant of a multistate capture,recapture model allowing simultaneous estimation of survival and movement between sites using a mixture of data (live recaptures and dead recoveries). We used a two-step process, first estimating movements between sites followed by site-specific survival rates. 4Most birds were faithful to their ringing site. Winter survival was negatively affected by winter severity and was lowest among birds changing wintering site (i.e. moving outside of the Oosterschelde). 5During mild winters, survival rates were very high, and similar to before the closure in both changed and unchanged sectors of the Oosterschelde. However, the combined effect of habitat loss with severe winters decreased the survival of birds from changed sectors and induced emigration. 6The coastal engineering project coincided with three severe winters and high food stock, making assessment of its effects difficult. However, the habitat loss seems to have had less impact on adult survival and movements than did winter severity. 7 Synthesis and applications. Human-induced habitat change may result in population decline through costly emigration or reduced survival or reproduction of individuals that stay. Long-term monitoring of marked individuals helps to understand how populations respond to environmental change, but site-specific survival and movement rates should be integrated in the same model in order to maximize the information yield. Our modelling approach facilitates this because it allows the inclusion of recoveries from outside the study area. [source] Long-term monitoring in IC4665: fast rotation and weak variability in very low mass objectsMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 3 2009Alexander Scholz ABSTRACT We present the combined results of three photometric monitoring campaigns targeting very low mass (VLM) stars and brown dwarfs in the young open cluster IC4665 (age ,40 Myr). Each of our observing runs covers time-scales of ,5 d in the seasons 1999, 2001 and 2002, respectively. In all three runs, we observe ,100 cluster members, allowing us for the first time to put limits on the evolution of spots and magnetic activity in fully convective objects on time-scales of a few years. For 20 objects covering masses from 0.05 to 0.5 M,, we detect a periodic flux modulation, indicating the presence of magnetic spots co-rotating with the objects. The detection rate of photometric periods (,20 per cent) is significantly lower than in solar-mass stars at the same age, which points to a mass dependence in the spot properties. With two exceptions, none of the objects exhibits variability and thus spot activity in more than one season. This is contrary to what is seen in solar-mass stars and indicates that spot configurations capable of producing photometric modulations occur relatively rarely and are transient in VLM objects. The rotation periods derived in this paper range from 3 to 30 h, arguing for a lack of slow rotators among VLM objects. The periods fit into a rotational evolution scenario with pre-main sequence contraction and moderate (40,50 per cent) angular momentum losses due to wind braking. By combining our findings with literature results, we identify two regimes of rotational and magnetic properties, called C- and I-sequence. Main properties on the C-sequence are fast rotation, weak wind braking, H, emission and saturated activity levels, while the I-sequence is characterized by slow rotation, strong wind braking, no H, emission and linear activity-rotation relationship. Rotation rate and stellar mass are the primary parameters that determine in which regime an object is found. We outline a general scheme to understand rotational evolution for low-mass objects in the context of these two regimes and discuss the potential as well as the problems of this picture. [source] Long-term monitoring of the intra-day variable quasar PKS 0405,385MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 1 2006L. Kedziora-Chudczer ABSTRACT The quasar PKS 0405,385 is one of three radio sources (the other two are PKS 1257,326 and J1819+385) which exhibit unusually strong and rapid interstellar scintillations at GHz frequencies. Such a behaviour suggests a nearby (<30 pc away) scattering screen along the line of sight to these radio sources. While quasars PKS 1257,326 and J1819+385 scintillate continuously over several years of monitoring, PKS 0405,385 shows episodes of strong scintillations which last only a few months. Here, I present the results of flux-density monitoring of PKS 0405,385 over 6 yr at four Stokes parameters and four frequencies. Two explanations of the episodic behaviour of interstellar scintillation in this source are discussed; morphological evolution of the source and changes in the properties of the interstellar medium along the line of sight. [source] Predator behaviour and morphology mediates the impact of an invasive species: cane toads and death adders in AustraliaANIMAL CONSERVATION, Issue 1 2010B. L. Phillips Abstract The arrival of an invasive species can have severe impacts on native species. The extent of the impact, as well as the speed at which native species may mount an adaptive response, depend upon the correlation between impact and the individual phenotypes of the native species. Strong correlation between phenotype and impact within the native species raises the possibility of rapid adaptive response to the invader. Here, we examine the impact of a dangerous newly arrived prey species (the highly toxic cane toad Bufo marinus) on naïve predators (death adders Acanthophis praelongus) in northern Australia. During laboratory trials and field radiotracking, toads killed 48% of the adders we studied. Long-term monitoring of the population also suggests a massive decline (>89%) in recent years concurrent with the arrival of toads. Variation in snake physiology (resistance to toad toxin) had little bearing on snake survival in the field. Snake behaviour (tendency to attack toads) and morphology (body size and head size), however, were strong predictors of snake survival. Smaller snakes with relatively small heads, and snakes that were unwilling to attack toads in the laboratory, had much higher survival rates in the field. These results show that toads have a massive impact on death adder populations, but that snake phenotypes strongly mediate this impact. Thus natural selection is operating on these adder populations and an adaptive response is a possibility. If these adders can rapidly shift toad-relevant morphological and behavioural traits (either through plastic or evolved means), they will ultimately face a lowered impact from this toxic invader. [source] Movement of sonically tagged bluespine unicornfish, Naso unicornis, in relation to marine reserve boundaries in Rodrigues, western Indian OceanAQUATIC CONSERVATION: MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS, Issue 3 2010Emily Hardman Abstract 1.The lagoon fishery of Rodrigues has considerable socio-economic importance; however, catches have declined by 50% in recent years. The bluespine unicornfish, Naso unicornis (Forsskål 1775) is an important component of the fishery. 2.To begin to assess whether marine reserves might benefit this species, sonic telemetry was used to track individual fish in one of Rodrigues' four marine reserves. Seven unicornfish were caught in the Grand Bassin reserve and tagged with abdominally implanted acoustic tags. 3.Over a period of 57 days their locations were determined up to 21 times using a hand held hydrophone and receiver. Individual minimum convex polygon (MCP) home ranges varied from ,10 000,m2 to ,274,000,m2 and were not correlated with fish size. Kernel estimates of core areas (50% utilization distribution) varied from ,5000,m2 to ,175,000,m2. All seven fish stayed within the marine reserve and the largest home range occupied less than ,2% of the area of the marine reserve. 4.Fish remained on the outside edge of the lagoon on the shallow reef slope and among coral patches. These findings suggest that bluespined unicornfish biomass and numbers should increase if the Grand Bassin marine reserve is closed to fishing. Long-term monitoring will, however, be required to demonstrate this outcome. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Monitoring Lung Resistivity Changes in Congestive Heart Failure Patients Using the Bioimpedance TechniqueCONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE, Issue 6 2005Sharon Zlochiver MSc The feasibility of a novel, dedicated system for monitoring lung resistivity in congestive heart failure patients, implementing a hybrid approach of the bioimpedance technique, was assessed in this preliminary study. Thirty-three healthy volunteers and 34 congestive heart failure patients were measured with the PulmoTrace system (Cardiolnspect, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel) during tidal respiration, and the ability to monitor the respective lung resistivity values was assessed. Mean left and right lung resistivity values of 1205±163 and 1200±165 ,·cm for the control group and 888±193 and 943±187 ,·cm for the congestive heart failure group were found, indicating a significant (p<2·10,7) difference between the two groups. The results of long-term monitoring of two patients during medical treatment are also shown. This hybrid approach system is believed to improve diagnostic capabilities and help physicians to better adjust medication dosage on a frequent basis. [source] Genetic diversity of Clethrionomys glareolus populations from highly contaminated sites in the Chornobyl region, UkraineENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 8 2000Cole W. Matson Abstract At radioactive sites, at least two mechanisms may affect the genetic diversity of populations of a given species. Increased mutation rates due to radiation exposure may increase the amount of genetic diversity in a population. Alternatively, population bottlenecks exacerbated by environmental degradation may lead to a reduction of diversity. The relationship between these two contradictory forces is complex. To explore this relationship, long-term monitoring of a genetic marker within a population is needed. To provide baseline data on the population genetics of the bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) living in the most contaminated regions at Chornobyl, Ukraine, we have sequenced 291 base pairs of the mitochondrial DNA control region. Bank voles were chosen as a model system because they have the highest levels of internal dose of cesium-134, cesium-137, and strontium-90 within the Chornobyl exclusion zone. We sampled three geographic sites, which were Oranoe, a reference site with virtually no radioactive contamination (<2 Ci/km2), and two highly contaminated sites, Glyboke Lake and the Red Forest (both 1,000 Ci/km2). Genetic diversity in the population from Red Forest (0.722 ± 0.024) was significantly greater than at the Oranoe reference site (0.615 ± 0.039), while genetic diversity at Glyboke Lake (0.677 ± 0.068) was intermediate. It is concluded that long-term studies of historical and demographic characteristics for experimental and reference populations are required in order to employ population genetics to understand the biological impact of environmental contaminants on the genetics of natural populations. [source] Using spatial models and kriging techniques to optimize long-term ground-water monitoring networks: a case studyENVIRONMETRICS, Issue 5-6 2002Kirk Cameron Abstract In a pilot project, a spatial and temporal algorithm (geostatistical temporal,spatial or GTS) was developed for optimizing long-term monitoring (LTM) networks. Data from two monitored ground-water plumes were used to test the algorithm. The primary objective was to determine the degree to which sampling, laboratory analysis, and/or well construction resources could be pared without losing key statistical information concerning the plumes. Optimization of an LTM network requires an accurate assessment of both ground-water quality over time and trends or other changes in individual monitoring wells. Changes in interpolated concentration maps over time indicate whether ground-water quality has improved or declined. GTS separately identifies temporal and spatial redundancies. Temporal redundancy may be reduced by lengthening the time between sample collection. Spatial redundancy may be reduced by removing wells from the network which do not significantly impact assessment of ground-water quality. Part of the temporal algorithm in GTS involves computation of a composite temporal variogram to determine the least redundant overall sampling interval. Under this measure of autocorrelation between sampling events, the lag time at which the variogram reaches a sill is the sampling interval at which same-well measurements lack correlation and are therefore non-redundant. The spatial algorithm assumes that well locations are redundant if nearby wells offer nearly the same statistical information about the underlying plume. A well was considered redundant if its removal did not significantly change: (i) an interpolated map of the plume; (ii) the local kriging variances in that section of the plume; and (iii) the average global kriging variance. To identify well redundancy, local kriging weights were accumulated into global weights and used to gauge each well's relative contribution to the interpolated plume map. By temporarily removing that subset of wells with the lowest global kriging weights and re-mapping the plume, it was possible to determine how many wells could be removed without losing critical information. Test results from the Massachusetts Military Reserve (MMR) indicated that substantial savings in sampling, analysis and operational costs could be realized by utilizing GTS. Annual budgetary savings that would accrue were estimated at between 35 per cent and 5 per cent for both LTM networks under study.Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Problems of resistance development in arthropod pests of agricultural crops in RussiaEPPO BULLETIN, Issue 1 2008G. I. Sukhoruchenko This paper presents the results of long-term monitoring of insecticide resistance in populations of agricultural pests in Russia. Over the last 45 years, resistance developments were recorded for 36 arthropod pest species in 11 agricultural crops and pastures in relation to nearly all commonly used plant protection products. Development of group, cross and multiple resistance has been revealed in populations of many economically important pests. Toxicological and phenotypical (for Colorado potato beetle) methods have been devised to monitor the development of pesticide resistance. Based on experience over the last century, systems aimed at preventing the development of pest resistance to insecticides and acaricides are elaborated. These systems are based on resistance monitoring and using plant protection measures which minimize the toxic pressure on agroecosystems. [source] THE EVOLUTION OF DIOECY, HETERODICHOGAMY, AND LABILE SEX EXPRESSION IN ACEREVOLUTION, Issue 11 2007S. S. Renner The northern hemisphere tree genus Acer comprises 124 species, most of them monoecious, but 13 dioecious. The monoecious species flower dichogamously, duodichogamously (male, female, male), or in some species heterodichogamously (two morphs that each produce male and female flowers but at reciprocal times). Dioecious species cannot engage in these temporal strategies. Using a phylogeny for 66 species and subspecies obtained from 6600 nucleotides of chloroplast introns, spacers, and a protein-coding gene, we address the hypothesis (Pannell and Verdú, Evolution 60: 660,673. 2006) that dioecy evolved from heterodichogamy. This hypothesis was based on phylogenetic analyses (Gleiser and Verdú, New Phytol. 165: 633,640. 2005) that included 29,39 species of Acer coded for five sexual strategies (duodichogamous monoecy, heterodichogamous androdioecy, heterodichogamous trioecy, dichogamous subdioecy, and dioecy) treated as ordered states or as a single continuous variable. When reviewing the basis for these scorings, we found errors that together with the small taxon sample, cast doubt on the earlier inferences. Based on published studies, we coded 56 species of Acer for four sexual strategies, dioecy, monoecy with dichogamous or duodichogamous flowering, monoecy with heterodichogamous flowering, or labile sex expression, in which individuals reverse their sex allocation depending on environment,phenotype interactions. Using Bayesian character mapping, we infer an average of 15 transformations, a third of them involving changes from monoecy-cum-duodichogamy to dioecy; less frequent were changes from this strategy to heterodichogamy; dioecy rarely reverts to other sexual systems. Contra the earlier inferences, we found no switches between heterodichogamy and dioecy. Unexpectedly, most of the species with labile sex expression are grouped together, suggesting that phenotypic plasticity in Acer may be a heritable sexual strategy. Because of the complex flowering phenologies, however, a concern remains that monoecy in Acer might not always be distinguishable from labile sex expression, which needs to be addressed by long-term monitoring of monoecious trees. The 13 dioecious species occur in phylogenetically disparate clades that date back to the Late Eocene and Oligocene, judging from a fossil-calibrated relaxed molecular clock. [source] Estimating Ground Water Recharge from Topography, Hydrogeology, and Land CoverGROUND WATER, Issue 1 2005Douglas S. Cherkauer Proper management of ground water resources requires knowledge of the rates and spatial distribution of recharge to aquifers. This information is needed at scales ranging from that of individual communities to regional. This paper presents a methodology to calculate recharge from readily available ground surface information without long-term monitoring. The method is viewed as providing a reasonable, but conservative, first approximation of recharge, which can then be fine-tuned with other methods as time permits. Stream baseflow was measured as a surrogate for recharge in small watersheds in southeastern Wisconsin. It is equated to recharge (R) and then normalized to observed annual precipitation (P). Regression analysis was constrained by requiring that the independent and dependent variables be dimensionally consistent. It shows that R/P is controlled by three dimensionless ratios: (1) infiltrating to overland water flux, (2) vertical to lateral distance water must travel, and (3) percentage of land cover in the natural state. The individual watershed properties that comprise these ratios are now commonly available in GIS data bases. The empirical relationship for predicting R/P developed for the study watersheds is shown to be statistically viable and is then tested outside the study area and against other methods of calculating recharge. The method produces values that agree with baseflow separation from streamflow hydrographs (to within 15% to 20%), ground water budget analysis (4%), well hydrograph analysis (12%), and a distributed-parameter watershed model calibrated to total streamflow (18%). It has also reproduced the temporal variation over 5 yr observed at a well site with an average error < 12%. [source] Evaluation of a Dialysis Sampler's Integrity in a Cold ClimateGROUND WATER MONITORING & REMEDIATION, Issue 1 2008O. Iwakun The use of a diffusion sampler made from regenerated cellulose dialysis membrane was investigated in this study to resolve issues from previous studies on the integrity of the sampler when deployed in the field. The dialysis samplers were deployed in monitoring wells at two upstream oil- and gas-contaminated sites. The average ambient temperature in the monitoring wells was 4 ± 1°C over the 6 month duration of the test. Burst pressure and tensile strength tests were used to determine the integrity of the samplers at two field sites over time. The test results showed no adverse impacts on the samplers' integrity after 6 months. Therefore, diffusion samplers from regenerated cellulose dialysis membrane show promising results when used for long-term monitoring associated with natural attenuation assessment under the conditions tested. [source] Long-term patient monitoring for clozapine-induced agranulocytosis and neutropenia in Korea: when is it safe to discontinue CPMS?HUMAN PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY: CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL, Issue 6 2006Byung-Jo Kang Abstract Objectives This study documents the incidences of agranulocytosis and neutropenia, and the patterns of incidence of the side effects of long-term clozapine treatment in order to determine an appropriate time to stop the Clozaril Patient Monitoring System (CPMS). Methods Hematological, demographic, and other data from the CPMS for 6782 patients who took clozapine for the past 11 years in the Republic of Korea has been analyzed. Results Twenty-nine (53.7%) of fifty-four agranulocytosis cases occurred within the first 18 weeks. The cumulative incidence of agranulocytosis was 1.64% between 6 and 11 years and the crude incidence was 0.8%. Neutropenia occurred in 697 patients, and 365 (52.4%) of these cases occurred within the first 18 weeks. The cumulative incidence of neutropenia was 19.8% between 8 and 11 years, and the crude incidence was 10.3%. There were no cases of agranulocytosis or neutropenia after the 9th year of clozapine treatment. Conclusions The incidence of agranulocytosis in the Republic of Korea was similar to those in the rest of the world. While agranulocytosis began several years after clozapine treatment, long-term monitoring of white blood cells is necessary. We suggest that the CPMS should be stopped or less frequently after the 9th year of treatment. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Accuracy and precision of different sampling strategies and flux integration methods for runoff water: comparisons based on measurements of the electrical conductivityHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 2 2006Patrick Schleppi Abstract Because of their fast response to hydrological events, small catchments show strong quantitative and qualitative variations in their water runoff. Fluxes of solutes or suspended material can be estimated from water samples only if an appropriate sampling scheme is used. We used continuous in-stream measurements of the electrical conductivity of the runoff in a small subalpine catchment (64 ha) in central Switzerland and in a very small (0·16 ha) subcatchment. Different sampling and flux integration methods were simulated for weekly water analyses. Fluxes calculated directly from grab samples are strongly biased towards high conductivities observed at low discharges. Several regressions and weighted averages have been proposed to correct for this bias. Their accuracy and precision are better, but none of these integration methods gives a consistently low bias and a low residual error. Different methods of peak sampling were also tested. Like regressions, they produce important residual errors and their bias is variable. This variability (both between methods and between catchments) does not allow one to tell a priori which sampling scheme and integration method would be more accurate. Only discharge-proportional sampling methods were found to give essentially unbiased flux estimates. Programmed samplers with a fraction collector allow for a proportional pooling and are appropriate for short-term studies. For long-term monitoring or experiments, sampling at a frequency proportional to the discharge appears to be the best way to obtain accurate and precise flux estimates. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Streamwater quality as affected by wild fires in natural and manmade vegetation in Malaysian BorneoHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 5 2004Anders Malmer Abstract In 1998 a wild fire struck a paired catchment research area under long-term monitoring of hydrological and nutrient budgets. Streamwater quality as concentrations of dissolved and suspended particulate matter was monitored during 1·5,2·5 years after the fire in streams from seven different catchments. As the catchments, due to earlier experimental treatments, had different vegetations, varying effects related to different fire intensities were observed. The highest, mean stormflow, suspended sediment concentrations resulted from intensive fire in secondary vegetation that had experienced severe soil disturbance in previous treatments (crawler tractor timber extraction 10 years earlier). Stormflow concentrations were typically still about 400 mg l,1 in 1999 (10,21 months after the fire), which was about the maximum recorded concentration in streams during initial soil disturbance in 1988. Forest fire in natural forest resulted in less than half as high stormflow concentrations. For dissolved elements in streamwater there was a positive relation between fuel load (and fire intensity) and concentration and longevity of effects. Stream baseflow dissolved nutrient concentrations were high in the months following the fire. Mean baseflow K concentrations were 8,15 mg l,1 in streams draining catchments with intensive fire in secondary vegetation with large amounts of fuel. After controlled fire for forest plantation establishment in 1988 corresponding concentrations were 3,5 mg l,1, and after forest fire in natural forest in this study about 2 mg l,1. This study shows differences in response from controlled fire for land management, forest fire in natural forests and wild fires in manmade vegetations. These differences relate to resistance and resilience to fire for the involved ecosystems. There is reason to believe that wild fires and repeated wild fires during or after droughts, in successions caused by human influence, may lead to larger losses of ecosystem nutrient capital from sites compared with forest fires in natural forests. As fire in the humid tropics becomes more common, in an increasingly spatially fragmented landscape, it will be important to be aware of these differences. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Conjugated Polymer Nanoparticles for Two-Photon Imaging of Endothelial Cells in a Tissue ModelADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 34 2009Nur Aida Abdul Rahim Fabrication and characterization of 8-nm-sized conjugated polymer nanoparticles (CPNs) and two-photon (2P) imaging of CPN labeled endothelial cells in a collagen-gel-based microfluidic device is described. CPNs exhibit super brightness and photostability comparable to quantum dots. The hydrophilicity and non-toxicity of CPNs enable long-term monitoring of cells in a tissue model, supporting CPNs' potential in biological and biomedical applications. [source] REVIEW: Mechanisms driving change: altered species interactions and ecosystem function through global warmingJOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY, Issue 5 2010Lochran W. Traill Summary 1.,We review the mechanisms behind ecosystem functions, the processes that facilitate energy transfer along food webs, and the major processes that allow the cycling of carbon, oxygen and nitrogen, and use case studies to show how these have already been, and will continue to be, altered by global warming. 2.,Increased temperatures will affect the interactions between heterotrophs and autotrophs (e.g. pollination and seed dispersal), and between heterotrophs (e.g. predators-prey, parasites/pathogens-hosts), with generally negative ramifications for important ecosystem services (functions that provide direct benefit to human society such as pollination) and potential for heightened species co-extinction rates. 3.,Mitigation of likely impacts of warming will require, in particular, the maintenance of species diversity as insurance for the provision of basic ecosystem services. Key to this will be long-term monitoring and focused research that seek to maintain ecosystem resilience in the face of global warming. 4.,We provide guidelines for pursuing research that quantifies the nexus between ecosystem function and global warming. These include documentation of key functional species groups within systems, and understanding the principal outcomes arising from direct and indirect effects of a rapidly warming environment. Localized and targeted research and monitoring, complemented with laboratory work, will determine outcomes for resilience and guide adaptive conservation responses and long-term planning. [source] Combined effects of fisheries and climate on a migratory long-lived marine predatorJOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2008V. Rolland Summary 1The impact of climate on marine ecosystems is now well documented, but remains complex. Climate change may interact with human activities to effect population dynamics. In addition, in migratory species conditions are different between the breeding and wintering grounds, resulting in more complex dynamics. All these possible effects should be considered to predict the future of endangered species, but very few studies have investigated such combined interactions. 2As a case study, we assessed the relative impact of fisheries and of oceanographic conditions in breeding and wintering sites on adult survival and breeding success of a population of the endangered black-browed albatross Thalassarche melanophrys in the Kerguelen Islands, Southern Indian Ocean. This study was based on long-term monitoring of individually marked individuals (1979,2005) and identification by tracking studies and band recoveries of the oceanic feeding zones used during breeding and non-breeding seasons. 3Breeding success was variable until 1997 and then declined gradually, from 0·88 to 0·48 chicks per egg laid. It was favoured by positive sea-surface temperature anomalies (SSTA) and trawl fishery during the breeding period, whereas it was negatively affected by positive SSTA around Tasmania, where the species winters. Adult survival was 0·918 ± 0·004 on average and increased with SSTA during incubation, but decreased significantly with high tuna longlining effort in the wintering zone. 4Our analyses show that demographic parameters were influenced by both climate and fisheries in both breeding and wintering grounds, but with different effect size. Black-browed albatross breeding success was more favoured by trawlers' offal and discards than by any of the seasonally/spatially oceanographic conditions, whereas their survival was equally affected by tuna longline fishery through incidental by-catch and spring SSTA. 5Synthesis and applications. Our work underlines that a comprehensive knowledge of the life history of a species in all the habitats used is important to disentangle the respective roles of environmental conditions and human factors on population dynamics. Identification of these effects is required when proposing effective conservation measures, because the conservation of threatened species may depend on their wintering country's exclusive economic zones. [source] Atrial Fibrillation Burden During the Post-Implant Period After CRT Using Device-Based DiagnosticsJOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 8 2006BURKHARD HÜGL M.D. Aims: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is increasingly used in congestive heart failure (CHF) patients (with cardiac dyssynchrony). In addition to delivering therapy, CRT devices offer a variety of diagnostic tools for continuous long-term monitoring of clinically relevant information (i.e., occurrence and duration of arrhythmia episodes). Methods and Results: Eighty-four patients with drug-refractory CHF in NYHA-class II,IV received a CRT device. The response to CRT was assessed by determining NYHA class at baseline and at 3 months follow-up. Atrial fibrillation (AF) burden (defined as time of AF per day) was continuously measured by the device. A significant gradual reduction of AF burden (from 9.88 ± 12.61 to 4.20 ± 9.24 [hours/day]) and number of patients experiencing AF episodes (from 26 to 13) were observed during CRT. Conclusions: (1) Diagnostic features for long-term monitoring of physiological variables provide useful information on the state and course of AF and may improve disease management. (2) AF burden reduces over time during the first 3 months after CRT implantation. [source] Status of the Mara Woodlands in KenyaAFRICAN JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, Issue 3 2004Matthew J. Walpole Abstract The woodlands of the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya have suffered dramatic declines over four decades as a result of elephant and fire pressure. This study examined the current status of woody resources in the Reserve and browse pressure thereon, using both classification (TWINSPAN) and ordination (DCA) techniques. From 333 widespread regular plots used to survey the vegetation, a total of 62 woody species were identified. Thirteen woody habitats were identified on the basis of species composition, varying from species-rich closed thickets and forest to less diverse open grasslands. A NW/SE stratification of the more open habitats was observed, possibly as a result of differences in soils, rainfall and drainage. Both plant density and diversity were lower than in communal and privately managed areas outside the Reserve. Moreover, browser pressure was substantially higher than that observed previously in the ecosystem, and suggests increased competition for scarcer woody resources within the Reserve. This has implications for the management of the ecosystem as a whole. As woodland and thickets continue to decline, long-term monitoring should expand to encompass the wider habitat diversity of the open grasslands and unprotected areas where much of the regeneration potential resides. Résumé Les forêts de la Réserve Nationale de Masai Mara, au Kenya, ont subi des réductions dramatiques depuis quatre décennies, suite à la pression des éléphants et des feux. Cette étude a examiné le statut actuel des ressources en bois dans la Réserve et la pression du pâturage qui s'y ajoute, en utilisant les techniques de classification (TWINSPAN) et d'ordination (DCA). Dans 333 plots régulièrement dispersés, utilisés pour étudier la végétation, on a identifié 62 espèces ligneuses. On a identifié aussi 13 habitats forestiers sur la base de la composition des espèces, depuis les buissons et les forêts fermés riches en espèces jusqu'aux prairies ouvertes moins diverses. On a observé une stratification NO/SE dans les habitats plus ouverts, résultat peut-être de différences de sols, de chutes de pluies et de drainage. La densité et la diversité des plantes étaient plus faibles que dans les aires gérées en commun ou de façon privée en dehors de la Réserve. Qui plus est, la pression des animaux qui mangent les buissons y était substantiellement plus élevée que celle qu'on observait jadis dans cet écosystème, et elle laisse penser qu'il y a une compétition plus forte pour des ressources ligneuses plus rares dans la Réserve. Ceci a des implications pour la gestion de l'écosystème dans son ensemble. Si les forêts et les buissons continuent à se rèduire, le monitoring à long terme devrait s'élargir pour englober la plus grande diversité d,habitat des prairies ouvertes et des aires non protégées où réside l'essentiel du potentiel de régénération. [source] Abundance of Snowy and Wilson's Plovers in the lower Laguna Madre region of TexasJOURNAL OF FIELD ORNITHOLOGY, Issue 4 2007Sharyn L. Hood ABSTRACT Snowy Plovers (Charadrius alexandrinus) and Wilson's Plovers (C. wilsonia) are shorebird species of increasing conservation concern, with populations apparently declining in North America. However, estimates of current populations are needed before initiating long-term monitoring or planning. In 2004, we estimated abundance of breeding Snowy and Wilson's plovers in the lower Laguna Madre region of Texas using occupancy abundance estimation. We made repeated visits to survey plots from April to June, recording the number of adults of both species observed and the amount of suitable breeding habitat within each plot. We considered Bayesian occupancy abundance models with and without habitat covariates to explain the abundance of both species. For both Snowy and Wilson's plovers, the number of birds counted in each plot was influenced by the amount of suitable breeding habitat within the plot (Snowy Plover ,habitat= 0.52, SD = 0.10, 95% CI = 0.33,0.71; Wilson's Plover ,habitat= 0.48, SD = 0.12, 95% CI = 0.24,0.71). Using the habitat covariate models for each species, we estimated that 416 adult Snowy Plovers (95% CI = 394,438) and 279 adult Wilson's Plovers (95% CI = 262,296) were present in our study area. Our results illustrate the use of a relatively new method for abundance estimation, and indicate that the lower Laguna Madre region of Texas is an important breeding area for both Snowy and Wilson's plovers. Given the documented and suspected population declines for Snowy and Wilson's plovers, we recommend protection of their breeding habitats along the coast of Texas from development and degradation resulting from unregulated use. SINOPSIS Charadrius alexandrinus y C. wilsonia son dos especies de playeros que son objeto de preocupación porque sus poblaciones parecen estar disminuyendo en Norte América. Sin embargo, se necesitan estimados poblacionales antes de se comience con su monitoreos a largo alcance o la planificación de su conservación. En el 2004, estimamos la abundancia de ambas especies en la parte baja de la Laguna Madre en Texas utilizando estimados de abundancia. Hicimos visitas repetidas para hacer encuestas en parcelas de abril a junio, contando el número de adultos de ambas especies y la cantidad de hábitat adecuado para cada especie entre cada parcela. Consideramos un modelo de abundancia Bayesiano con y sin covariantes de hábitat para explicar la abundancia de ambas especies. Para ambas especies el número de aves contadas en cada parcela fue influenciado por la cantidad de hábitat reproductivo apropiado dentro de la parcela (C. alexandrinus,habitat= 0.52, SD = 0.10, 95% CI = 0.33 , 0.71; C. wilsonia,habitat= 0.48, SD = 0.12, 95% CI = 0.24 , 0.71). Utilizando el modelo de covarianza para cada especie, estimamos un total de 416 individuos de C. alexandrinus (95% CI = 394 , 438) y de 279 adultos de C. wilsonia (95% CI = 262 , 296) en nuestra área de estudio. Nuestros resultados ilustran el uso de un método relativamente nuevo para estimar la abundancia. Este indica que la región estudiada en Laguna Madre es de importancia para la reproducción de ambas especies. Dada la documentación y la sospecha fundamentada de la reducción en número de ambas especies, recomendamos la protección de su hábitat reproductivo, del desarrollo urbano y de la degradación resultante del uso sin regulación de la costa en Texas. [source] Improving clinical outcome in patients with intestinal failure using individualised nutritional adviceJOURNAL OF HUMAN NUTRITION & DIETETICS, Issue 4 2009A. Culkin Abstract Background: Patients with intestinal failure are required to adhere to a complex regimen. Written information may increase knowledge leading to improvements in clinical outcomes. The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of nutrition advice incorporating the use of a booklet. Methods: Each patient completed a questionnaire evaluating their knowledge of the regime and quality of life and kept a diet and gastrointestinal output diary. The diary was assessed and they were given the booklet with a verbal explanation tailored to individual requirements. The booklet explained the causes of intestinal failure, diet and fluid recommendations in relation to intestinal anatomy, information on medications and long-term monitoring. Patients were reassessed at their next appointment using the same tools. The primary endpoint was an improvement in knowledge. Secondary endpoints were an improvement in oral nutritional intake, nutritional status, quality of life and the content of home parenteral nutrition. Results: Forty-eight patients completed the study. Knowledge improved significantly after dietetic intervention in association with the provision of the booklet (P < 0.001). Oral energy (P = 0.04) and fat (P = 0.003) intake increased with an improvement in body mass index (P = 0.02). Patients on home parenteral nutrition showed a reduction in parenteral energy (P = 0.02), nitrogen (P = 0.003), volume (P = 0.02) and frequency (P = 0.003). Conclusions: A booklet for patients with intestinal failure in conjunction with personalised dietary counselling improves knowledge and clinical outcomes. [source] VARIABILITY IN THE ECOPHYSIOLOGY OF HALIMEDA SPP. (CHLOROPHYTA, BRYOPSIDALES) ON CONCH REEF, FLORIDA KEYS, USA,JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY, Issue 4 2003Kevin Beach The photosynthetic performance, pigmentation, and growth of a Halimeda community were studied over a depth gradient on Conch Reef, Florida Keys, USA during summer,fall periods of 5 consecutive years. The physiology and growth of H. tuna (Ellis & Solander) Lamouroux and H. opuntia (L.) Lamouroux on this algal dominated reef were highly variable. Maximum rate of net photosynthesis (Pmax), respiration rate, and quantum efficiency (,) did not differ between populations of either species at 7 versus 21 m, even though the 21-m site received a 66% lower photon flux density (PFD). Physiological parameters, as well as levels of photosynthetic pigments, varied temporally. Pmax, saturation irradiance, compensation irradiance, and growth were greatest in summer months, whereas ,, chl a, chl b, and carotenoid concentrations were elevated each fall. Halimeda tuna growth rates were higher at 7 m compared with 21 m for only two of five growth trials. This may have arisen from variability in light and nutrient availability. Individuals growing at 7 m received a 29% greater PFD in August 2001 than in 1999. In August 1999 and 2001 seawater temperatures were uniform over the 14-m gradient, whereas in August 2000 cold water regularly intruded upon the 21-m but not the 7-m site. These results illustrate the potentially dynamic relationship between nutrients, irradiance, and algal productivity. This suggests the necessity of long-term monitoring over spatial and temporal gradients to accurately characterize factors that impact productivity. [source] Habitat use, diet and roost selection by the Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus) in North America: a case for conserving an abundant speciesMAMMAL REVIEW, Issue 3 2002SALVATORE J. AGOSTA ABSTRACT Insectivorous bats are integral components of terrestrial ecosystems. Despite this, a growing number of factors causing world-wide declines in bat populations have been identified. Relatively abundant species are important for bat conservation because of their role in ecosystems and the research opportunities they offer. In addition, species that have been well-studied present unique opportunities to synthesize information and highlight important areas of focus for conservation and research. This paper focuses on a well-studied abundant bat, Eptesicus fuscus. I review the relevant literature on habitat use, diet and roost selection by E. fuscus in North America, and highlight important areas of conservation and research for this species, including the effects of roost disturbance, control of economically important insect pests, exposure to pesticides, long-term monitoring of populations, and the potential consequences of expanding populations. These issues have broad implications for other species and can be used to focus future research and conservation efforts. [source] H, long-term monitoring of the Be star , Cephei AaMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 2 2008G. Catanzaro ABSTRACT Papers published in recent years have contributed to resolve the enigma of the hypothetical Be nature of the hot pulsating star , Cephei. This star shows variable emission in the H, line, typical for Be stars, but its projected rotational velocity is very much lower than the critical limit, contrary to what is expected for a typical Be star. The emission has been attributed to the secondary component of the , Cephei spectroscopic binary system. In this paper, using both our and archived spectra, we attempt to recover the H, profile of the secondary component and to analyse its behaviour with time for a long period. To accomplish this task, we first derive the atmospheric parameters of the primary, Teff= 24 000 ± 250 K and log g= 3.91 ± 0.10, and then we use these values to compute its synthetic H, profile, and finally we reconstruct the secondary's profile disentangling the observed one. The secondary's H, profile shows the typical two-peak emission of a Be star with a strong variability. We also analysed the behaviour versus time of some linewidth parameters: equivalent width, ratio of blue to red peak intensities, full width at half-maximum, peak separation and radial velocity of the central depression. The projected rotational velocity (v sin i) of the secondary and the dimension of the equatorial surrounding disc have also been estimated. [source] Lethal and sub-lethal effects of spinosad on bumble bees (Bombus impatiens Cresson)PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE (FORMERLY: PESTICIDE SCIENCE), Issue 7 2005Lora A Morandin Abstract Recent developments of new families of pesticides and growing awareness of the importance of wild pollinators for crop pollination have stimulated interest in potential effects of novel pesticides on wild bees. Yet pesticide toxicity studies on wild bees remain rare, and few studies have included long-term monitoring of bumble bee colonies or testing of foraging ability after pesticide exposure. Larval bees feeding on exogenous pollen and exposed to pesticides during development may result in lethal or sub-lethal effects during the adult stage. We tested the effects of a naturally derived biopesticide, spinosad, on bumble bee (Bombus impatiens Cresson) colony health, including adult mortality, brood development, weights of emerging bees and foraging efficiency of adults that underwent larval development during exposure to spinosad. We monitored colonies from an early stage, over a 10-week period, and fed spinosad to colonies in pollen at four levels: control, 0.2, 0.8 and 8.0 mg kg,1, during weeks 2 through 5 of the experiment. At concentrations that bees would likely encounter in pollen in the wild (0.2,0.8 mg kg,1) we detected minimal negative effects to bumble bee colonies. Brood and adult mortality was high at 8.0 mg kg,1 spinosad, about twice the level that bees would be exposed to in a ,worst case' field scenario, resulting in colony death two to four weeks after initial pesticide exposure. At more realistic concentrations there were potentially important sub-lethal effects. Adult worker bees exposed to spinosad during larval development at 0.8 mg kg,1 were slower foragers on artificial complex flower arrays than bees from low or no spinosad treated colonies. Inclusion of similar sub-lethal assays to detect effects of pesticides on pollinators would aid in development of environmentally responsible pest management strategies. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Approaches for assessing hazards and risks to workers and the public from contaminated landREMEDIATION, Issue 1 2007Michael Gochfeld Many public agencies and private entities are faced with assessing the risks to humans from contamination on their lands. The United States Department of Energy (US DOE) and Department of Defense are responsible for large holdings of contaminated land and face a long-term and costly challenge to assure sustainable protectiveness. With increasing interest in the conversion of brownfields to productive uses, many former industrial properties must also be assessed to determine compatible future land uses. In the United States, many cleanup plans or actions are based on the Comprehensive Environmental Responsibility, Compensation, and Liability Act, which provides important but incomplete coverage of these issues, although many applications have tried to involve stakeholders at multiple steps. Where there is the potential for exposure to workers, the public, and the environment from either cleanup or leaving residual contamination in place, there is a need for a more comprehensive approach to evaluate and balance the present and future risk(s) from existing contamination, from remediation actions, as well as from postremediation residual contamination. This article focuses on the US DOE, the agency with the largest hazardous waste remediation task in the world. Presented is a framework extending from preliminary assessment, risk assessment and balancing, epidemiology, monitoring, communication, and stakeholder involvement useful for assessing risk to workers and site neighbors. Provided are examples of those who eat fish, meat, or fruit from contaminated habitats. The US DOE's contaminated sites are unique in a number of ways: (1) huge physical footprint size, (2) types of waste (mixed radiation/chemical), and (3) quantities of waste. Proposed future land uses provide goals for remediation, but since some contamination is of a type or magnitude that cannot be cleaned up with existing technology, this in turn constrains future land use options, requiring an iterative approach. The risk approaches must fit a range of future land uses and end-states from leave-in-place to complete cleanup. This will include not only traditional risk methodologies, but also the assessment and surveillance necessary for stewards for long-term monitoring of risk from historic and future exposure to maintain sustainable protectiveness. Because of the distinctiveness of DOE sites, application of the methodologies developed here to other waste site situations requires site-specific evaluation © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Status of diurnal primate populations at the former settlement of a displaced village in CameroonAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 7 2010Lawrence Baya Abstract To understand whether or not primate populations recover in areas of abandoned human settlements, data are required that allow for site-specific comparison over time. Here, we present baseline information on the presence/absence and relative abundance of primate species at the abandoned settlement of the Ekundukundu village, relocated out of the Korup National Park in 2000. Between July 2007 and March 2008, 62,km of transects was surveyed for sightings and calls of primates. All eight species of diurnal primates reported in the KNP were confirmed: Cercopithecus nictitans ludio, C. mona, C. erythrotis camerunensis, C. pogonias, Procolobus pennantii preussi, Cercocebus torquatus, Mandrillus leucophaeus leucophaeus, and Pan troglodytes vellerosus. At old Ekundukundu, C. nictitans accounted for 65% of all primate group sightings. Overall, sighting frequency of primates (0.55,groups/km) was not significantly different from other park sectors surveyed by a previous observer (J. Linder) in 2004,2005. The data reported here will be useful in the long-term monitoring of primate populations in regenerating forest habitats of earlier human settlements. Am. J. Primatol. 72:645,652, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Gastrointestinal parasites of the chimpanzee population introduced onto Rubondo Island National Park, TanzaniaAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 4 2010Klára J. Petr, elková Abstract The release of any species into a novel environment can evoke transmission of parasites that do not normally parasitize the host as well as potentially introducing new parasites into the environment. Species introductions potentially incur such risks, yet little is currently known about the parasite fauna of introduced primate species over the long term. We describe the results of long-term monitoring of the intestinal parasite fauna of an unprovisioned, reproducing population of chimpanzees introduced 40 years earlier (1966,1969) onto Rubondo Island in Lake Victoria, Tanzania, a non-native habitat for chimpanzees. Two parasitological surveys (March 1997,October 1998 and October 2002,December 2005) identified Entamoeba spp. including E. coli, Iodamoeba buetschlii, Troglodytella abrassarti, Chilomastix mesnili, Trichuris sp., Anatrichosoma sp., Strongyloides spp., Strongylida fam. gen. sp., Enterobius anthropopitheci, Subulura sp., Ascarididae gen. sp., and Protospirura muricola. The parasite fauna of the Rubondo chimpanzees is similar to wild chimpanzees living in their natural habitats, but Rubondo chimpanzees have a lower prevalence of strongylids (9%, 3.8%) and a higher prevalence of E. anthropopitheci (8.6%, 17.9%) than reported elsewhere. Species prevalence was similar between our two surveys, with the exception of Strongyloides spp. being higher in the first survey. None of these species are considered to pose a serious health risk to chimpanzees, but continued monitoring of the population and surveys of the parasitic fauna of the two coinhabitant primate species and other animals, natural reservoir hosts of some of the same parasites, is important to better understand the dynamics of host,parasite ecology and potential long-term implications for chimpanzees introduced into a new habitat. Am. J. Primatol. 72:307,316, 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||