Experimentally manipulated brood sex ratios: growth and survival in the black-headed gull (Larus ridibundus), a sexually dimorphic species

In sexually size dimorphic species, individuals of the larger sex often suffer from enhanced mortality during the nestling period. This has been attributed to higher nutritional requirements of the larger sex, which may render this sex more vulnerable to adverse food conditions. However, sex-biased mortality might not exclusively depend on the differences in food demand but also on other phenotypic differences, e.g., in competitiveness. Interference competition between the sexes and position in the laying sequence in particular may be essential components contributing to biased mortality.By creating synchronously-hatched unisex broods in the sexually size dimorphic black-headed gull, we specifically tested the effect of sex-specific food demand by excluding interference competition between the sexes as well as hatching asynchrony. To test the effect of egg quality, which varies with the position in the laying sequence, we composed each nest of chicks from eggs of all different positions in the laying sequence.All-male nests showed significantly enhanced mortality compared to all-female nests from the beginning of the development of the sexual size dimorphism onwards. This underlines the role of a higher food demand in biased mortality of the larger sex.In males but not females, asymptotic body mass and skeletal size were negatively associated with position in the laying sequence, while survival was not affected by position. As a consequence, sexual size dimorphism at the end of the nestling period was less pronounced compared to the natural situation. These data show that, although male growth is more sensitive to a decrease in egg quality, the higher mortality of last hatched chicks in natural nests is mainly due to hatching asynchrony and egg size but not egg content.     

Effects of exposure of crocodiles to sublethal concentrations of Petroleum waste drilling fluid in the Niger Delta basin of Midwestern Nigeria

Static bioassay were carried out using two aquatic crocodiles (the short nosed crocodile, Osteolemus tetraspis and the Nile crocodile, Crocodilus niloticus) as test organisms in soft natural dilution water, with Petroleum waste drilling fluid as the test material, at 28 ± 2 °C. Comparison of results for the control and different concentrations of the waste drilling fluid were made by means of the F-statistic method. Both crocodile species exhibited a high insensitivity to the undiluted waste drilling fluid and the different dilutions. Differences in concentration of waste drilling fluid did not influence the response of crocodiles to the potential toxicant. Percentage of deaths which was never greater than 0.2% in control tanks was not significantly different from that in test tanks where mortality values of organisms was typically 1.6% or less in most cases. There was a delay toxicant – induced mortality effect.     

Risk factors for mortality during the 2002 landslides in Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia

This study examines health effects resulting from landslides in Chuuk during Tropical Storm Chata'an in July 2002, and suggests strategies to prevent future mortality. In August 2002, we conducted a cross-sectional survey to identify risk factors for mortality during landslides, which included 52 survivors and 40 surrogates for 43 decedents to identify risk factors for death. Findings suggest that 1) females had a higher mortality rate from this event than males, and 2) children aged 5–14 years had a 10-fold increase in mortality when compared with annual mortality rates from all causes. Awareness of landslides occurring elsewhere and knowledge of natural warning signs were significantly associated with lower risks of death; being outside during landslides was not associated with reduced mortality. In Chuuk, improving communication systems during tropical storms and increasing knowledge of natural warnings can reduce the risk for mortality during landslides.     

Book Reviews

Books reviewed:
Rutherford H., Platt et al. Disasters and Democracy: The Politics of Extreme Natural Events
S., Suri Orissa Disaster: Agony of the Living     

The Accuracy of Mortality Reporting in Displaced Persons Camps During the Post-emergency Phase

For humanitarian organisations, accurate data are essential to identify emerging health problems and determine programme needs. We visited 45 post-emergency phase displaced persons camps and collected three months' mortality data which we compared with organisations' routine mortality reports. Organisations reported 612 deaths and we identified 741 deaths, for a mortality-reporting ratio, defined as the number of organisation-reported deaths divided by the number of investigator-identified deaths, of 83 per cent. For the majority of camps which under-reported deaths, mortality reporting ratios were significantly higher for women than men, and for camps with central mortality registers rather than those without. In the few camps which over-reported deaths, these occurred primarily among children younger than five years of age, probably due to the inclusion of abortions and stillbirths. Despite the overall under-reporting of deaths by humanitarian organisations, the existing health information systems appear to estimate mortality rates adequately in these post-emergency camps. However, organisations should improve the precision and completeness with which they report the characteristics of deaths in order to provide valuable data to target their programmes at the most vulnerable people.     

Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris L.) of Bering Island, the Commander Islands: Age and Sex Composition of Dead Animals and Spatial Distribution

Animal censuses and assessment of mortality in the sea otter subpopulation of Bering Island (the Commander Islands) have shown that indices of seasonal mortality may be used as a criterion for estimating well-being of this animal group. In 1999, the subpopulation of Bering Island entered a phase of stabilization of its spatial, age, and sex structure, with the stabilization process proper taking approximately three years after a peak of mortality. Mortality in the course of this process proved to be relatively high in age groups older than eight years but insignificant among middle-aged reproductive animals. As the age and sex structure of the insular group varies during the year and in different coastal areas, the data obtained by collecting dead animals cannot be used for estimating the structure of the whole population.     

Conflict-related mortality: an analysis of 37 datasets

Mortality rates are among the main indicators of the human impact of armed conflict and many surveys have assessed this impact both for targeting and evaluating humanitarian aid programmes. Almost no epidemiological analysis such as calculating relative risk was performed nor were reference values clearly described. Here the aim is to review published mortality rates for a better understanding of age-specific mortality in armed conflict. Published mortality rates from conflict situations were collected and pre-conflict reference rates composed. We calculated the relative risk of dying in conflict compared to pre-conflict for children under 5 and people older than five years old. Although limited by reporting inadequacies, the results confirm the high vulnerability of children < 5 but identify a higher relative risk of dying among the > or = 5 year olds. Although not entirely new, this observation is not fully understood. Further systematic epidemiological research is needed to estimate and understand the impact of armed conflict on mortality.     

Critically evaluating best management practices for preventing freshwater turtle extinctions

Ex situ conservation tools, such as captive breeding for reintroduction, are considered a last resort to recover threatened or endangered species, but they may also help reduce anthropogenic threats where it is difficult or impossible to address them directly. Headstarting, or captive rearing of eggs or neonate animals for subsequent release into the wild, is controversial because it treats only a symptom of a larger conservation problem; however, it may provide a mechanism to address multiple threats, particularly near population centers. We conducted a population viability analysis of Australia's most widespread freshwater turtle, Chelodina longicollis, to determine the effect of adult roadkill (death by collision with motor vehicles), which is increasing, and reduced recruitment through nest predation from introduced European red foxes (Vulpes vulpes). We also modeled management scenarios to test the effectiveness of headstarting, fox management, and measures to reduce mortality on roads. Only scenarios with headstarting from source populations eliminated all risks of extinction and allowed population growth. Small increases in adult mortality (2%) had the greatest effect on population growth and extinction risk. Where threats simultaneously affected other life‐history stages (e.g., recruitment), eliminating harvest pressures on adult females alone did not eliminate the risk of population extinction. In our models, one source population could supply enough hatchlings annually to supplement 25 other similar‐sized populations such that extinction was avoided. Based on our results, we believe headstarting should be a primary tool for managing freshwater turtles for which threats affect multiple life‐history stages. We advocate the creation of source populations for managing freshwater turtles that are greatly threatened at multiple life‐history stages, such as depredation of eggs by invasive species and adult mortality via roadkill.     

PM2.5污染对我国健康负担和经济损失的影响

开展全国范围归因于PM_2.5污染的健康负担和经济损失研究,对于污染防控政策至关重要.首先利用空气质量模型（WRF-Chem）模拟结果,分析2016年PM_2.5的时空分布和暴露水平;同时结合环境健康风险及环境价值评估方法,评估PM_2.5污染引起的健康负担和经济损失;最后基于情景分析方法,预估实现具体PM_2.5控制目标的健康经济效益.结果表明,2016年,我国PM_2.5污染主要集中在京津冀及周边地区、长三角地区、四川盆地以及西北沙漠地区,且71.49%的人口暴露在PM_2.5浓度高于35 μg·m^-3的环境空气中;PM_2.5污染造成约106.04万人过早死亡,约占总死亡人数的10.9%,其中冠心病和中风约占80%;PM_2.5污染造成健康经济损失7059.31亿元,约占国内生产总值（GDP）的0.95%.PM_2.5污染造成的健康负担和经济损失存在显著空间差异,主要分布在PM_2.5浓度和人口密度高的中东部地区;情景分析表明,我国所有地区PM_2.5浓度降至35 μg·m^-3,只能避免17.11%的健康经济损失,而降至10 μg·m^-3可以带来80.47%的健康经济效益.建议环境管理者进一步加强控制力度,更好地保障居民的健康和财富利益,尤其是心脑血管疾病患者等敏感人群以及归因死亡率高的地区.     

上海市实施清洁空气行动计划的健康收益分析

为掌握上海市实施清洁空气行动计划(2013~2017年)的人群健康收益,综合采用空气质量数值模拟、健康风险评估、环境价值评估方法定量评价行动计划实施后居民大气PM_(2.5)暴露水平变化及健康和经济效益.结果表明,PM_(2.5)年均暴露浓度在35μg·m~(-3)及以下的人口比例由基准年的1.62%上升至控制年的34.06%,归因PM_(2.5)暴露死亡风险由基准年的15.2%下降至控制年的11.9%.实现的健康收益总和为118.41亿元(95%CI:50.24~178.19亿元),占2013年上海市国民生产总值0.55%(95%CI:0.23%~0.82%).行动计划的实施对保护人群健康具有积极作用,外环线以内人口密集且PM_(2.5)降幅较高的区域健康收益更加显著.