Search results for "Nesting"
showing 10 items of 87 documents
A membrane computing simulator of trans-hierarchical antibiotic resistance evolution dynamics in nested ecological compartments (ARES)
2015
In this article, we introduce ARES (Antibiotic Resistance Evolution Simulator) a software device that simulates P-system model scenarios with five types of nested computing membranes oriented to emulate a hierarchy of eco-biological compartments, i.e. a) peripheral ecosystem; b) local environment; c) reservoir of supplies; d) animal host; and e) host's associated bacterial organisms (microbiome). Computational objects emulating molecular entities such as plasmids, antibiotic resistance genes, antimicrobials, and/or other substances can be introduced into this framework and may interact and evolve together with the membranes, according to a set of pre-established rules and specifications. AR…
Evolution of avian clutch size along latitudinal gradients: do seasonality, nest predation or breeding season length matter?
2010
Birds display a latitudinal gradient in clutch size with smaller clutches in the tropics and larger in the temperate region. Three factors have been proposed to affect this pattern: seasonality of resources (SR), nest predation and length of the breeding season (LBS). Here, we test the importance of these factors by modelling clutch size evolution within bird populations under different environmental settings. We use an individual-based ecogenetic simulation model that combines principles from population ecology and life history theory. Results suggest that increasing SR from the tropics to the poles by itself or in combination with a decreasing predation rate and LBS can generate the latit…
Variation in clutch size in relation to nest size in birds
2014
© 2014 The Authors. Nests are structures built to support and protect eggs and/or offspring from predators, parasites, and adverse weather conditions. Nests are mainly constructed prior to egg laying, meaning that parent birds must make decisions about nest site choice and nest building behavior before the start of egg-laying. Parent birds should be selected to choose nest sites and to build optimally sized nests, yet our current understanding of clutch size-nest size relationships is limited to small-scale studies performed over short time periods. Here, we quantified the relationship between clutch size and nest size, using an exhaustive database of 116 slope estimates based on 17,472 nes…
Susceptibility of Seven Termite Species (Isoptera) to the Entomopathogenic Fungus Metarhizium anisopliae
2009
International audience; Seven termite species (Isoptera) from five families were tested for disease susceptibility against the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae using a standard protocol: Mastotermes darwiniensis (Mastotermitidae), Hodotermopsis sjoestedti (termopsidae), Hodotermes mossambicus (Hodotermitidae), Kalotermes flavicollis (Kalotermitidae), Reticulitermes flavipes and Prorhinotermes canalifrons (Rhinotermitidae), and Nasutitermes voeltzkowi (termitidae). Our results showed a large diversity in disease susceptibility against M. anisopliae among the different species tested and we suggest that the evolution of disease resistance mechanisms in Isoptera may be influenced…
Unveiling the egg microbiota of the loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta in nesting beaches of the Mediterranean Sea
2022
Microbes have central roles in the development and health of animals, being the introduction of specific microbial species a potential conservation strategy to protect animals from emerging diseases. Thus, insight into the microbiota of the species and their habitats is essential. In this manuscript, we report for the first time the bacterial composition of all the components (eggshells of hatched and unhatched eggs, internal content of unhatched eggs, intestinal content of hatchling and pipping sea turtles, and sand) of three nesting beaches of Caretta caretta along the Italian coasts of the Mediterranean Sea. The analysis of 26 amplicon samples was carried out using next-generation sequen…
Exceptional sea turtle nest records in 2011 suggest an underestimated nesting potential in Sicily (Italy)
2012
We report seven nesting events by loggerhead sea turtles in Sicily (Italy) in 2011. In comparison to past records, this number is relatively high and may be at least in part due to an awareness campaign carried out in 2011 to solicit such reports. This suggests that Sicily may host a much higher nesting activity than previously thought and higher monitoring effort is recommended, especially in certain coastal tracts. Sand temperatures and incubation periods indicate that the beaches monitored so far in the southern coast are not optimal for development, resulting in low hatching success, and produce a majority of males. Five 2011 nests and two past nests from the same area had mtDNA haploty…
Quantum Algorithm for Dyck Language with Multiple Types of Brackets
2021
We consider the recognition problem of the Dyck Language generalized for multiple types of brackets. We provide an algorithm with quantum query complexity \(O(\sqrt{n}(\log n)^{0.5k})\), where n is the length of input and k is the maximal nesting depth of brackets. Additionally, we show the lower bound for this problem which is \(\varOmega (\sqrt{n}c^{k})\) for some constant c.
Competition for resources modulates cell-mediated immunity and stress hormone level in nestling collared doves (Streptopelia decaocto)
2008
International audience; Competitive stress imposed by hatching asynchrony may affect developmental trajectories of offsprings by regulating resource allocation between growth and other fitness-related traits. For instance, the down-regulation of immunity is a commonly observed phenomenon under stressful conditions. However, physiological mechanisms that regulate resources allocation to growth and immune functions in response to competition for resources, as well as inter-sexual differences in physiological strategies, are still poorly investigated. To partially fill this gap, we first conducted a descriptive study on chicks of the collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto), a species producing t…
The 1-way on-line coupled atmospheric chemistry model system MECO(n) – Part 3: Meteorological evaluation of the on-line coupled system
2012
Abstract. Three detailed meteorological case studies are conducted with the global and regional atmospheric chemistry model system ECHAM5/MESSy(→COSMO/MESSy)n, shortly named MECO(n), in order to assess the general performance of the on-line coupling of the regional model COSMO to the global model ECHAM5. The cases are characterised by intense weather systems in Central Europe: an intense cold frontal passage in March 2010, a convective frontal event in July 2007, and the high impact winter storm "Kyrill" in January 2007. Simulations are performed with the new on-line-coupled model system and compared to classical, off-line COSMO hindcast simulations driven by ECMWF analyses. Precipitation o…
Female–female attraction influences nest establishment in the digger wasp Stizus continuus (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae)
2008
Although digger wasps are good models for the study of nest site selection, the behaviour of females in relation to time of nest establishment has rarely been considered despite this being the key to discrimination between substrate availability-based and a female attraction-based selection. We carried out a study on nest establishment by the digger wasp Stizus continuus (Klug), giving to all nests dug by the wasps both spatial (nearest neighbour distance to nests, proximity of vegetation, soil hardness) and temporal (day of excavation) attributes. Stizus continuus females dug more nests under bush edges, where the soil was much softer. There was no tendency for females to maximize distance…