Scale-dependent habitat selection in migratory frugivorous passerines

Frugivorous migrants may select fruit-rich habitats en route to attain high food rewards, yet their stopover behavior may also be shaped by other considerations, such as predation risk. During 1996–2001 we investigated autumn stopover habitat use of three Sylvia warblers (sylviids; S. hortensis, S. atricapilla and S. curruca) and three Turdidae chats (turdids; Cercotrichas galactotes, Oenanthe hispanica and Phoenicurus phoenicurus) in planted groves of the fruiting tree Pistacia atlantica in Lahav Forest, Israel, which is located at the edge of a desert. We used fecal analysis, a constant-effort trapping scheme and field observations to estimate the extent of frugivory, and bird habitat and microhabitat selection with regard to natural fruit and foliage densities. We also measured bird microhabitat selection in a set of fruit-manipulated trees. We trapped a total of 2,357 birds during the course of the study. Although sylviids exhibited higher frugivory level than turdids, both species groups exhibited a similar significantly positive correlation between bird and fruit densities at the habitat scale. However, at the microhabitat scale, sylviids selected densely foliated trees, whilst turdids were randomly distributed among trees. Our findings suggest that both species groups selected fruit-rich stopover habitats to take advantage of the high food availability before the demanding migration journey. No other mechanism except predation avoidance can explain the sylviids microhabitat selection; the migrants used foliage cover to reduce bird detectability by raptors. We conclude that en route passerines may use staging habitats in a sophisticated manner, by adopting scale-related behavior with regard to the availability of food and refuge cover.     

论精神分析批评及其缺陷

精神分析批评作为一种文学批评方法,可以用于解释作者的创作动机和研究文学文本。简要梳理精神分析批评的理论渊源,分析其对文学研究的影响,指出其缺陷,旨在帮助文艺批评者更好、更有效地运用于文学批评。     

Campylobacter coli infection causing second trimester intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR): a case report and review of the literature

Campylobacter is a gram-negative, microaerophilic, curved rod and a normal resident of the gastrointestinal flora and may be the cause of disease in animals. Transmission to humans occurs by ingestion of contaminated food or by direct contact with infected animals. In the past few decades, an increasing number of reports have implicated the presence of this organism in human abortions as well. An infectious mechanism due to primary placental inflammatory damage followed by secondary damage to the fetus following placental insufficiency and ischemia was suggested. The most common species of Campylobacter are Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli, which are classically associated with enteritis in humans. We present a rare case of mid-gestation intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) associated with maternal bacteremia caused by C. coli infection. Our literature review focuses on Campylobacter infections occurring in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. In all cases, mild maternal symptoms consisting of fever and weakness were presented. However, associated adverse fetal outcome, including abortions, IUGR or preterm labor may occur more frequently than anticipated. Our report strengthens the importance of awareness to this finding and focuses the need to consume properly cooked meat during pregnancy. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.