Differential survival throughout the full annual cycle of a migratory bird presents a life-history trade-off.

Long-distance migrations are among the most physically demanding feats animals perform. Understanding the potential costs and benefits of such behaviour is a fundamental question in ecology and evolution. A hypothetical cost of migration should be outweighed by higher productivity and/or higher annual survival, but few studies on migratory species have been able to directly quantify patterns of survival throughout the full annual cycle and across the majority of a species' range. Here, we use telemetry data from 220 migratory Egyptian vultures Neophron percnopterus, tracked for 3,186 bird months and across approximately 70% of the species' global distribution, to test for differences in survival throughout the annual cycle. We estimated monthly survival probability relative to migration and latitude using a multi-event capture-recapture model in a Bayesian framework that accounted for age, origin, subpopulation and the uncertainty of classifying fates from tracking data. We found lower survival during migration compared to stationary periods (ß = -0.816; 95% credible interval: -1.290 to -0.318) and higher survival on non-breeding grounds at southern latitudes (<25°N; ß = 0.664; 0.076-1.319) compared to on breeding grounds. Survival was also higher for individuals originating from Western Europe (ß = 0.664; 0.110-1.330) as compared to further east in Europe and Asia, and improved with age (ß = 0.030; 0.020-0.042). Anthropogenic mortalities accounted for half of the mortalities with a known cause and occurred mainly in northern latitudes. Many juveniles drowned in the Mediterranean Sea on their first autumn migration while there were few confirmed mortalities in the Sahara Desert, indicating that migration barriers are likely species-specific. Our study advances the understanding of important fitness trade-offs associated with long-distance migration. We conclude that there is lower survival associated with migration, but that this may be offset by higher non-breeding survival at lower latitudes. We found more human-caused mortality farther north, and suggest that increasing anthropogenic mortality could disrupt the delicate migration trade-off balance. Research to investigate further potential benefits of migration (e.g. differential productivity across latitudes) could clarify how migration evolved and how migrants may persist in a rapidly changing world.

Genetic favouring of pheomelanin-based pigmentation limits physiological benefits of coloniality in lesser kestrels Falco naumanni.

Pheomelanin contributes to the pigmentation phenotype of animals by producing orange and light brown colours in the integument. However, pheomelanin synthesis in melanocytes requires consumption of glutathione (GSH), the most important intracellular antioxidant. Therefore, a genetic control favouring the production of large amounts of pheomelanin for pigmentation may lead to physiological costs under environmental conditions that promote oxidative stress. We investigated this possibility in the context of breeding coloniality, a reproductive strategy that may affect oxidative stress. We found in lesser kestrel Falco naumanni nestlings that the GSH:GSSG ratio, which decreases with systemic oxidative stress, increased with the size of the colony where they were reared, but the expression in feather melanocytes of five genes involved in pheomelanin synthesis (Slc7a11, Slc45a2, CTNS, MC1R and AGRP) did not vary with colony size. The antioxidant capacity (TEAC) of lesser kestrel nestlings also increased with colony size, but in a manner that depended on Slc7a11 expression and not on the expression of the other genes. Thus, antioxidant capacity increased with colony size only in nestlings least expressing Slc7a11, a gene with a known role in mediating cysteine (a constituent amino acid of GSH) consumption for pheomelanin production. The main predictor of the intensity of pheomelanin-based feather colour was Slc45a2 expression followed in importance by Slc7a11 expression, hence suggesting that the genetic regulation of the pigmentation phenotype mediated by Slc7a11 and a lack of epigenetic lability in this gene limits birds from benefiting from the physiological benefits of coloniality.

The variability of juvenile dispersal in an opportunistic raptor.

The juvenile dispersal of raptors is a crucial stage that stretches from parental independence to the establishment of the first breeding area. Between 2012 and 2020, 44 juvenile red kites Milvus milvus from the Spanish breeding population were tagged using GPS telemetry to study their dispersal. Juveniles left the parental breeding area at the end of their first summer and performed wandering movements throughout the Iberian Peninsula, returning to the parental breeding area the following year, repeating the same pattern until they settled in their first breeding area. We analyzed the mean distance from the nest, the maximum reached distances, and the traveled distances (daily and hourly) during the first 2 years of dispersal and compared them. Despite the high individual variability, variables describing the dispersal movements of juveniles showed a decreasing trend during the second dispersal year: 80% of individuals reached a shorter maximum distance in the second year, 70% decreased their mean distance to the nest, 65% decreased their hourly traveled distances, and 50% decreased their daily traveled distances. On the other hand, the red kites usually combined wandering movements with the establishment of temporary settlement areas (TSA). The average duration of settlement in the TSAs was 75 ± 40 days (up to 182 days) and was located at 182 ± 168 km from the nest. In those areas, juveniles used 781.0 ± 1895.0 km2 (KDE 95%). Some of the TSAs were used by several individuals, which suggests that these areas might be good targets for conservation in future management plans.

Striking Variability in the Post-Reproductive Movements of Spanish Red Kites (Milvus milvus): Three Strategies, Sex Differences, and Changes over Time.

It was assumed that the Spanish breeding population of the red kite (Milvus milvus) was resident, hence their movements were restricted to their breeding area for their entire lifecycle. However, recent observations indicated that the post-reproductive strategies of the red kite in Spain are more diverse. We tagged 47 breeding adult red kites in Spain and analyzed their movements during the post-reproductive period (July-February). We found three strategies in the population: migration (10%), sedentarism (70%), and sedentarism with post-reproductive movements (20%), based on seasonality and other movement parameters. Sedentarism with post-reproductive movements was a very variable strategy that involved all-direction wandering movements far away from the nest (up to 589 km) after breeding season, and then a returned journey toward the starting point in time for the next breeding season. Our results also suggest that sedentarism with post-reproductive movements is much more common in females than males. Furthermore, 17% of the individuals changed their strategy over the years. This study highlights the great individual variability and plasticity of the red kite and allows for a better understanding of spatial ecology in opportunistic raptors.

Psychogeriatric Services at Certified Home Health Agencies: Case Reports and Guidelines for Psychiatric Consultants.

Because of the unmet mental health needs of older persons in the community, Medicare-certified home health agencies are increasingly taking the role of health providers. Here the authors review their experience and argue that the pathology seen in home mental health care situations is similar to that seen by specialized mental health outreach teams. Also the relations between the home care team and the psychiatric consultant require skillful management even when the team are mental health specialists. The authors offer guidelines for psychiatric consultants, given the extent to which home care services survive in a volatile, cost-contained environment.

Effects of policosanol (10 mg/d) versus aspirin (100 mg/d) in patients with intermittent claudication: a 10-week, randomized, comparative study.

Antiplatelet therapy, including aspirin, is recommended to lower the vascular risk in patients with intermittent claudication. Policosanol has increased walking distances in these patients, probably because of its antiplatelet effects, but the effect of shorter treatment has not been studied. This double-blind study compared the effects of policosanol 10 mg/d and aspirin 100 mg/d for 10 weeks on walking distances in claudicants. Thirty-nine patients were randomized to policosanol or aspirin. Walking distances on a treadmill were assessed before and after treatment. Policosanol significantly increased the initial and absolute claudication distances, while aspirin changed neither variable. Policosanol, not aspirin, significantly lowered serum low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and total cholesterol while raising high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol. In conclusion, treatments of policosanol, not aspirin, for 10 weeks significantly increased walking distances, but modestly, in contrast with previous results. Therefore, the duration of treatments at the doses tested was too short for meaningful effects on the treadmill test.

OFTATLAS. Atlas cubano de Oftalmología / OPHTATLAS. Ophtalmological cuban atlas

El desarrollo de la tecnología de la computación ha permitido la introducción, en la práctica docente, de nuevos medios de enseñanza que han revolucionado la docencia médica. La utilización del software educativo como medio que facilite el proceso de enseñanza aprendizaje en las diferentes carreras de las Ciencias Médicas es hoy una realidad en nuestras universidades. Este trabajo consiste en un software educativo como material complementario para la enseñanza de la oftalmología en Cuba, tanto para pregrado como para postgrado e incluye materiales audiovisuales para el aprendizaje no solo de la oftalmología clínica sino también quirúrgica. Se utilizó la herramienta de Crheasoft para la realización del producto final, con una combinación de elementos visuales y auditivos. Teniendo en cuenta el antiguo proverbio más vale ver una vez que oír cien veces, se confeccionó este atlas interactivo que tiene como finalidad proporcionar un material educativo didáctico de consulta y de apoyo a la docencia, útil para el desarrollo de una metodología de enseñanza más adaptable a las características individuales de cada usuario. El software cuenta con una interfaz que permite la fácil navegación, posibilitando la interacción y el intercambio de información entre el usuario y la aplicación(AU)

Computer technology developments have allowed the introduction of new methods for teaching in the Cuban medicine schools. Educative software used as an instrument to make the knowledge process easier among medical specialities is nowadays a fact in our university. This project consists in an educative software complementary to the teaching of ophthalmology for both medicine students and ophthalmology resident, which includes audio-visual materials, for clinical and surgical ophthalmology. Crheasoft tool is used for the final product achieving a combination of audio and visual elements. Taking into account the ancient proverb: It's more important to see once than to hear a hundred times, this interactive atlas provides a support and consultation educative material that could be useful for a more individual teaching. The software has a friendly interface that permits an easier navigation allowing information interchange and interaction between the users and the application(AU)

Bocio tóxico difuso y gestación: aspectos generales / Diffuse toxic goiter and pregnancy: general aspects

Se estudian algunos aspectos relacionados con la presencia de bocio tóxico difuso en el período de gestación. Se indican diferentes formas de tratamiento que pueden evitar efectos indeseables, tanto para la madre como para el feto

Alteraciones en el cristalino en el hipoparatiroidismo latente / Alterations in the crystalline lens in latent hypoparathyroidism

Se estudian los cristalinos mediante la lámpara de hendidura marca Opton, previo midriasis pupilar a 13 pacientes con diagnóstico de hipoparatiroidismo latente o frustre. Las opacidades subcapsulares puntiformes anteriores se hallaron en el 46,1%. Las alteraciones en los cristalinos presentaron valores superiores y la diferencia fue estadísticamente significativa cuando se contrastó con el grupo control (p < 0,05)

El diagnóstico clínico de mixoma auricular izquierdo en base a su comprobación ecocardiográfica y quirúrgica / The clinical diagnosis of left atrial mixoma based on its echocardiographic and surgcial confirmation

Se estudiaron 6 pacientes con mixoma auricular, 5 izquierdos y uno derecho como control, todos comprobados por ecocardiografía y tratados quirúrgicamente. Se analizaron las características clínicas, electrocardiográficas y radiológicas encontradas tanto en esta serie como en los informes previos de la literatura para compararlas con las ya conocidas de la estenosis mitral y poder establecer su diferenciación. Se observó que en el mixoma auricular estuvo ausente el antecedente de fiebre reumática. La disnea de esfuerzo fué de más corta evolución, no presentaron disnea paroxística nocturna, y sí, en cambio, mareo, lipotimia, hemiparesia y/o angor como síntomas frecuentes. El chasquido de apertura mitral fué muy frecuente y un menor número el retumbo cambiente, pero en ninguno se encontró soplo presistólico. La aurícula izquierda generalmente no estaba dilatada, la orejuela izquierda ni la arteria pulmonar fueron prominentes en la teleradiografía de tórax. La onda P en DII no fué mayor de 0.11 seg y el complejo ventricular en VI no mostró onda R grande. Con los elementos anteriores se puede sospechar el diagnóstico de mixoma auricular izquierdo para confirmalo con el ecocardiograma e indicar la resección quirúrgica