Do standard behavioral assays predict foraging behavior of individual Black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) in response to a predator model or calls?

Black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) and other species that feed at bird feeders balance the benefit of easy foraging with the added risk of predation. Individual birds respond differently to risky situations, and these differences have been attributed to the birds' personalities, which researchers commonly assess with an "open-field" behavioral assay. However, these behavioral assays in birds have not been compared to behavior in the wild in the context of foraging in the presence of a predator (i.e., risk-taking behavior). We color-banded chickadees in a wild population and conducted behavioral assays in the field. We later used foraging trials to investigate these color-banded individuals' responses to a predator (Cooper's hawk, Accipiter cooperii) model or a series of Cooper's hawk calls. We found that foraging black-capped chickadees responded more strongly to the presence of a predator model than to predator calls. Individual birds differed in their responses, and the behavioral assays (activity and exploration) predicted individual behavior in the wild during the foraging experiments. Activity and exploration assay scores were only weakly related, suggesting these two assays represent different traits. Both highly active birds and fast explorers exhibited some reluctance to visit the feeder (either reduced number of visits or greater latency to visit) when the predator model was present, a relationship that was somewhat unexpected. Our results suggest that standard behavioral assays predict behavior in the wild, but care should be taken when generalizing among species and studies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

LGBT+ Older Adults in Rural South Central Appalachia: Perceptions of Current and Future Formal Service Needs.

Older sexual and gender minority adults living in rural areas of the U.S. face challenges in accessing welcoming and inclusive formal health, mental health, social, and long-term care services. The intersection of the local rural sociocultural context with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT+) identities and aging presents both challenges and opportunities for improving formal services for LGBT+ older adults. Little is known about how the rural south central Appalachian context intersects with the identities of LGBT+ older adults with regard to accessing formal services. This paper presents the results of a qualitative study examining experiences, concerns, and recommendations regarding formal services among 11 LGBT+ older adults residing in rural south central Appalachia. Several of the participants described experiencing discrimination and/or marginalization while accessing formal services. A number of participants were fearful about the lack of LGBT+-inclusive services and expressed that they would consider leaving the area if their own or their partner's health declined or if they or their partner required long-term care services, particularly residential care. Many participants expressed the need for local provider education and training about the needs of LGBT+ older adults. Implications for practice, policy, and research are discussed in this paper.

Nature versus nurture: Structural equation modeling indicates that parental care does not mitigate consequences of poor environmental conditions in Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis).

How organisms respond to variation in environmental conditions and whether behavioral responses can mitigate negative consequences on growth, condition, and other fitness measures are critical to our ability to conserve populations in changing environments. Offspring development is affected by environmental conditions and parental care behavior. When adverse environmental conditions are present, parents may alter behaviors to mitigate the impacts of poor environmental conditions on offspring. We determined whether parental behavior (provisioning rates, attentiveness, and nest temperature) varied in relation to environmental conditions (e.g., food availability and ectoparasites) and whether parental behavior mitigated negative consequences of the environment on their offspring in Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis). We found that offspring on territories with lower food availability had higher hematocrit, and when bird blow flies (Protocalliphora spp.) were present, growth rates were reduced. Parents increased provisioning and nest attendance in response to increased food availability but did not alter behavior in response to parasitism by blow flies. While parents altered behavior in response to resource availability, parents were unable to override the direct effects of negative environmental conditions on offspring growth and hematocrit. Our work highlights the importance of the environment on offspring development and suggests that parents may not be able to sufficiently alter behavior to ameliorate challenging environmental conditions.

Individual variation in Black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) foraging behavior in response to a predator model.

Birds that forage at feeders must balance the risk of predation with the benefit of food acquisition. We color-banded black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) in a wild population and investigated their responses to a predator (Cooper's hawk, Accipiter cooperii) model placed 1 m or 5 m from a feeding platform. Over 40 trials, we recorded a total of 3,576 chickadee visits to a feeder. When the predator model was present, chickadees made fewer and shorter visits to the feeder, and there was greater latency to visit the feeder than during all other phases of the trials (prestimulus, poststimulus, and with the presence of a control model, a songbird [all p < .05]). Individual birds were highly consistent in the number of visits across phases (adjusted intraclass correlation coefficient = .958). Nonmetric multidimensional scaling allowed visualization of differences among individuals in the number of visits by trial phase. Although all 16 color-banded birds made fewer visits to the feeder when the predator model was present, some individuals were bolder than others, and some were more cautious. In addition, 4 individuals (25%) also made fewer visits when the songbird model was present, 3 different individuals (19%) also made fewer visits during the postpredator phase, and 1 (6.3%) individual was cautious about both the songbird and during the postpredator phase. Distance-based redundancy analysis (dbRDA) indicated that individuals' latency among phases explained significant variation in their number of visits. Examining behavioral responses on an individual basis allowed a more subtle understanding of behavior along the boldness-shyness continuum. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Patterns and Trends of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers in Bald Eagle Nestlings in Minnesota and Wisconsin, USA.

We measured concentrations of up to 17 polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in plasma of 492 bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) nestlings between 1995 and 2017 from 12 study areas in Wisconsin and Minnesota, USA. Geometric mean concentrations of the sum of 9 PBDE congeners (∑PBDE) measured across all years ranged from 2.88 to 10.8 µg/L, and nestlings in urban areas had higher concentrations than those in remote locations. Region-wide from 2006 through 2017, we found that ∑PBDEs declined by 3.8% annually and congeners BDE-47, -99, and -100 declined by 5.6 to 6.5%, whereas BDE-153 and -154 had no significant declines. When categorized by waterbody type, nestlings from Great Lakes and river study areas had higher concentrations of ∑PBDEs than those at inland lakes, but river study areas spanned the extremes. From 2006 to 2017, ∑PBDEs declined by 7.3% annually in Great Lakes nestlings and by 3.2% in nestlings along rivers, and increased by 32.7% at inland lakes. Using a longer dataset (1995-2015), we found that ∑PBDEs declined in Lake Superior nestlings by 3.3% annually. Our results show that PBDEs declined in bald eagle nestling plasma in most study areas since PBDE production was reduced, but that concentrations remain high near urban centers and that trends differ by congener, study area, and waterbody type. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:1606-1618. © 2021 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.

Trends and Patterns of Perfluoroalkyl Substances in Blood Plasma Samples of Bald Eagle Nestlings in Wisconsin and Minnesota, USA.

We analyzed concentrations and trends of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in blood plasma samples of bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) nestlings at 6 study areas in the upper Midwest of the United States, 2006 to 2015, and long-term trends at 2 Lake Superior (USA/Canada) sites, 1995 to 2015. Nestling blood plasma concentrations of the sum of 15 PFAS analytes (∑PFAS) differed among study areas and were highest at the 3 industrialized river sites: pools 3 and 4 of the Mississippi River (pools 3 + 4; geometric mean [GM] = 754 µg/L; range = 633-2930), the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (GM = 687 µg/L; range = 24-7371), and the lower St. Croix National Scenic Riverway (GM = 546 µg/L; range = 20-2400). Temporal trends in ∑PFAS in nestling plasma differed among study areas; concentrations decreased at pools 3 + 4, Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, and lower St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, but not at the most remote sites, the upper St. Croix River and Lake Superior. Overall, perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) was the most abundant analyte at all study areas, and perfluorodecanesulfonate (PFDS) the second most abundant at industrialized river sites although not at Lake Superior; concentrations of both these analytes declined from 2006 to 2015 over the study area. In addition, nestling age significantly influenced plasma concentrations of ∑PFAS and 7 of the 12 analytes. For these analytes, concentrations increased by 1 to 2%/d as nestlings grew, indicating that age should be considered when using nestling plasma to assess PFAS. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:754-766. © 2020 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.

Social Support and Social Networks among LGBT Older Adults in Rural Southern Appalachia.

While research has begun to examine social networks and social support among LGBT older adults living in rural contexts, no research to date has examined these issues within the unique context of rural southern Appalachia. Thus, the purpose of this qualitative study was to extend this emerging area of research by exploring the perspectives of LGBT older adults on their social networks and social support while living in rural southern Appalachia. In this study, 11 LGBT-identifying older adults were interviewed regarding their social networks and social support within the cultural context of rural Southern Appalachia. Participants generally described having rich informal social support networks that seemed to buffer and mitigate the deleterious effects of the wider culture of homophobia and transphobia. These networks, while varying from person to person, included families of choice (spouse / partner, close friends), neighbors, pets, biological family / families of origin, religious and spiritual communities, women's or men's social groups, and current or former coworkers. While six of the participants voiced that their support system was adequate for their needs, there were reports of mixed, tenuous, or insufficient support systems for five participants. After reviewing main findings, implications for research, practice, and policy are discussed.

Demographic Costs Associated with Differences in Habitat Space Occupancy.

Delimiting the habitat characteristics describing the environmental conditions required by a species has become a critical tool for predicting organismal responses to environmental change. Grinnell emphasized the effects of environmental factors on the ability of a population to maintain a positive growth rate, yet few studies have included demographic or reproductive data in analyses of the Grinnellian niche. Identifying differences in habitat exploitation patterns in response to structural variation in the environment presents an incomplete description of the ability of species to adapt to changing habitats if demographic traits are not included. We estimated the vegetation characteristics used by individuals within a population of hooded warblers (Setophaga citrina) across a spatial transect that includes three structurally different forest habitats. We predicted individuals should select similar structural characteristics within each habitat and have similar reproductive success across sample sites. In the two years post burn, adults were present but no young fledged indicating the habitat requirements necessary for reproduction were absent in this habitat. We found significant differences in habitat space occupied by individuals in unaltered and harvested habitats. Nesting habitats used by female warblers differed from available habitat. Fledging success was lower in the harvested habitat 10 to 12 years post-harvest. In the harvested habitat, fledging success was greater on mesic slopes but decreased along a habitat gradient to xeric ridgetops, suggesting compensation in habitat use does not ameliorate fitness costs. In contrast, there was no difference in the number of fledged young along this gradient in the unaltered habitat. Based solely on occupancy data, traditional ecological niche models would incorrectly conclude the environmental characteristics found across the three forested habitats are included in the Grinnellian niche of the hooded warbler. However, examination of demographic and environmental data simultaneously allows differentiation between occupied habitat space and niche space.

Unmet health and mental health need among adolescents: the roles of sexual minority status and child-parent connectedness.

Using a representative national sample from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) survey (N = 18,924), this article explores sexual minority status (SMS) and child-parent connectedness in relation to the unmet needs for health or mental health care among adolescents. Through the use of logistic regression models, data were analyzed to determine whether SMS and child-parent connectedness predict unmet health and mental health need. In addition, models tested whether child-parent connectedness, sex or gender, and race or ethnicity interact with SMS to predict unmet need. Results show that both SMS and child-parent connectedness predict unmet health and mental health need. Being a sexual minority youth (SMY) significantly increases the odds of having an unmet need for health or mental health care; female SMY have the highest odds of an unmet mental health need. Child-parent connectedness is a predictor of unmet need regardless of SMS. Youth with lower levels of child-parent connectedness have significantly higher odds of an unmet health or mental health need. Findings call for service providers to address the unmet needs of SMY both in terms of outreach to youth and parents and to communicate the importance of the parental role in helping teens access care.

Comparing health and mental health needs, service use, and barriers to services among sexual minority youths and their peers.

Using a representative national sample (N = 20,745), this article explores health and mental health needs, service use, and barriers to services among sexual minority youths (SMYs) and heterosexual peers. SMYs were defined by ever having a same-sex romantic attraction or having a recent same-sex romantic relationship or sexual partner. SMYs accounted for 7.5 percent of the sample. Data were analyzed to ascertain prevalence of risks and explore group differences. Compared with peers, SMY self-reports indicated higher prevalence rates on all indicators of health and mental health need. SMYs reported more sexual activity, more sexually transmitted disease diagnoses, a higher perceived risk for HIV/AIDS, and more forgone medical care than peers.Also compared with peers, SMYs reported higher levels of anxiety depression, suicidality, and physical and sexual victimization and higher rates of unmet mental health need. SMYs also reported greater concerns about confidentiality and were less likely to use school-based services.The majority of SMYs reported same-sex attraction only. Social work and other helping professionals should incorporate same-sex attraction questions into assessment protocols to target services for this population. School- and office-based providers must consider whether their services are welcoming and offer sufficient assurances of confidentiality to facilitate access by SMYs.

Social challenges for children with hemophilia: child and parent perspectives.

The impact of pediatric chronic illness on peer relations and social adjustment in nine school-aged boys with hemophilia was examined using qualitative interview methods. Literature on boys' psychosocial development provided a theoretical perspective to interpret findings. Three main themes emerged from the interviews: Awareness of difference, efforts to conceal difference, and efforts to connect with peers and friends. Findings suggest that hemophilia may be a socially stigmatizing condition for many boys because it limits gender-typical interactions with same-sex peers. Recommendations are offered for research on interventions to assist children in communicating with peers about their health condition and to involve close friends and parents in such interventions.

Regulation of ROCKII by localization to membrane compartments and binding to DynaminI.

ROCKII kinase activity is known to be regulated by Rho GTPase binding; however, the context-specific regulation of ROCKII is not clearly understood. We pursued the C-terminal PH domain as a candidate domain for regulating ROCKII function. A proteomics-based screen identified potential ROCKII signaling partners, a large number of which were associated with membrane dynamics. We used subcellular fractionation to demonstrate that ROCKII is localized to both the plasma membrane and internal endosomal membrane fractions, and then used microscopy to show that the C-terminal PH domain can localize to internal or peripheral membrane compartments, depending on the cellular context. Co-immunoprecipitation demonstrated that Dynamin1 is a novel ROCKII binding partner. Furthermore, blocking Dynamin function with a dominant negative mutant mimicked the effect of inhibiting ROCK activity on the actin cytoskeleton. Our data suggest that ROCKII is regulated by localization to specific membrane compartments and its novel binding partner, Dynamin1.

Content validity in the PROMIS social-health domain: a qualitative analysis of focus-group data.

PURPOSE: Our aim was to assess the content validity of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) social health item banks by comparing a prespecified conceptual model with concepts that focus-group participants identified as important social-health-related outcomes. These data will inform the process of improving health-related quality-of-life measures. METHODS: Twenty-five patients with a range of social limitations due to chronic health conditions were recruited at two sites; four focus groups were conducted. Raters independently classified participants' statements using a hierarchical, nested schema that included health-related outcomes, role performance, role satisfaction, family/friends, work, and leisure. RESULTS: Key themes that emerged were fulfilling both family and work responsibilities and the distinction between activities done out of responsibility versus enjoyment. Although focus-group participants identified volunteerism and pet ownership as important social-health-related concepts, these were not in our original conceptual model. The concept of satisfaction was often found to overlap with the concept of performance. CONCLUSION: Our conceptual model appears comprehensive but is being further refined to more appropriately (a) distinguish between responsibilities versus discretionary activities, and (b) situate the outcome of satisfaction as it relates to impairment in social and other domains of health.