The geographic extent of bird populations affected by renewable-energy development

Bird populations are declining globally. Wind and solar energy can reduce emissions of fossil fuels that drive anthropogenic climate change, yet renewable-energy production represents a potential threat to bird species. Surveys to assess potential effects at renewable-energy facilities are exclusively local, and the geographic extent encompassed by birds killed at these facilities is largely unknown, which creates challenges for minimizing and mitigating the population-level and cumulative effects of these fatalities. We performed geospatial analyses of stable hydrogen isotope data obtained from feathers of 871 individuals of 24 bird species found dead at solar- and wind-energy facilities in California (USA). Most species had individuals with a mix of origins, ranging from 23% to 98% nonlocal. Mean minimum distances to areas of likely origin for nonlocal individuals were as close as 97 to >1250 km, and these minimum distances were larger for species found at solar-energy facilities in deserts than at wind-energy facilities in grasslands (Cohen's d = 6.5). Fatalities were drawn from an estimated 30-100% of species' desingated ranges, and this percentage was significantly smaller for species with large ranges found at wind facilities (Pearson's r = -0.67). Temporal patterns in the geographic origin of fatalities suggested that migratory movements and nonmigratory movements, such as dispersal and nomadism, influence exposure to fatality risk for these birds. Our results illustrate the power of using stable isotope data to assess the geographic extent of renewable-energy fatalities on birds. As the buildout of renewable-energy facilities continues, accurate assessment of the geographic footprint of wildlife fatalities can be used to inform compensatory mitigation for their population-level and cumulative effects.

A qualitative evaluation of the use of Problem Management Plus (PM+) among Arabic-speaking migrants with psychological distress in France - The APEX study

ABSTRACTBackground: Feasibility studies with non-French speaking migrants in France are needed to inform appropriate adaptation of psychosocial intervention procedures.Objective: To test the WHO Problem Management Plus (PM+) intervention protocol for Arabic-speaking migrants in the Paris metropolitan region.Methods: Between 2019 and 2021 we recruited participants from three accommodation centres receiving asylum seekers or migrants experiencing social and economic difficulties. Participants experiencing psychological distress underwent five PM + sessions with trained helpers. Feasibility was evaluated through 15 interviews with 8 participants, 4 helpers, and 3 study supervisors. Interview topics covered PM + implementation in general and for each component. We also sought to understand problems with delivery and gathered suggestions for improvement. Data were analysed thematically using a deductive approach.Results: We found implementation of PM + to be feasible, with predominantly positive reactions from participants, helpers and study staff. All intervention components were considered beneficial, with breathing exercises considered easy to implement and often sustained. Selection of problems and strategies to address them were described as challenging to execute. Psychosocial support from and rapport with helpers and the use of the native language were considered key strengths of the programme. However, we observed the need for complementary or higher intensity psychological support in some cases. Findings also highlighted the importance of addressing distress among non-specialist helpers delivering PM + . Finally, local guidance to social resources were suggested to be added in the protocol.Conclusion: PM + was well-liked and feasible, with cultural adjustments and increased access to community resources for migrants needed.

Ambiguous Loss and Embodied Grief Related to Mexican Migrant Disappearances

Since the 1990s, thousands of Latin Americans have died or disappeared along the US-Mexico border, following the funneling of migration through remote desert regions. The families of missing migrants face long-term "ambiguous loss," a lived experience in which a loved one is physically absent but psychologically present. Mexican relatives of the missing in Arizona and Sonora report that these losses produce deep emotional suffering along a timeline - worrying about the crossing, learning of the disappearance, beginning to search, and finally, coping with the long-term impacts of unknowing. Close relatives experience embodied health effects including headaches, insomnia, anxiety, depression, and chronic disease.

Cross-border Communication and the Enregisterment of Collective Frameworks for Care

Communication plays an important role in the non-copresent care that is increasingly prevalent today. Drawing on long-term research with transnational Salvadoran families, I explore how one multigenerational kin network managed a health crisis: a family member had been diagnosed with a new form of chronic kidney disease that is epidemic in rural Central American communities. The family used cross-border communication to simultaneously enact care and consolidate a particular register of care. I suggest that everyday communication is a powerful force that works both within and beyond immediate care work encounters in ways that have far-reaching consequences for ethical and moral life.

Isotopes in teeth and a cryptic population of coastal freshwater seals

Human activities threaten the biodiversity of aquatic mammals across the globe. Conservation of these species hinges on the ability to delineate movements and foraging behaviors of animals, but gaining such insights is hampered by difficulties in tracing individuals over their lives. We determined isotope ratios in teeth (⁸⁷ Sr/⁸⁶ Sr, ¹³ C/¹² C, and ¹⁸ O/¹⁶ O) to examine lifelong movement and resource-use patterns of a unique freshwater population of a wide-ranging pinniped species (harbor seal [Phoca vitulina]) that resides in Iliamna Lake, Alaska (U.S.A.). This population's potentially unique migratory behavior and use of different trophic resources are unknown. The isotope ratios we measured in teeth showed that seals were born in the lake, remained lifelong residents, and relied principally on resources produced from in the lake, even when seasonally abundant and nutrient-dense spawning anadromous fish (i.e., sockeye salmon [Oncorhynchus nerka]) were available in the lake. Our results illustrate how serial isotope records in teeth, particularly ⁸⁷ Sr/⁸⁶ Sr ratios, can be used to quantify how coastal mammal populations exploit both freshwater and marine ecosystems. Understanding lifelong patterns of habitat and resource use is essential information when designing effective conservation plans for threatened coastal mammals. We present the Iliamna Lake harbor seals as a unique case study into how isotope records within teeth can help reveal the cryptic ecology of such a population residing in an intact ecosystem. The results also provide critical baseline information for the Kvichak River system, which is facing an uncertain future due to proposed large-scale industrial development and a rapidly changing climate.

Couple Relationship Standards and Migration: Comparing Hong Kong Chinese with Australian Chinese

Rates of international migration are increasing, which raises the question of how migration might influence couple relationship standards and impact on the standards of migrants forming intercultural relationships. We compared relationship standards in n = 286 Chinese living in Hong Kong, China, with standards in n = 401 Chinese migrants to a Western country (Australia) by administering the Chinese-Western Intercultural Couple Standards Scale (CWICSS). We also compared these two groups to n = 312 Westerners living in Australia. We first tested the structural invariance of the CWICSS across the three samples with a multigroup confirmatory factor analysis. There was marginal but acceptable fit of a model of two positively correlated latent factors: Couple Bond (with four indicators, such as demonstration of love and caring) and Family Responsibility (also with four indicators, such as extended family relations and preserving face). Within the limitations of the study, results suggest migration is associated predominantly with differences in women's, but not men's, relationship standards. Migrant Chinese women show alignment of Couple Bond standards with Western standards, and divergence of Family Responsibility standards from Western standards. Discussion focused on how migration and intercultural relationship experiences might differentially influence various domains of relationship standards, gender differences in migration effects on standards, and the implications for working with culturally diverse couples.

The importance of incorporating functional habitats into conservation planning for highly mobile species in dynamic systems

The distribution of mobile species in dynamic systems can vary greatly over time and space. Estimating their population size and geographic range can be problematic and affect the accuracy of conservation assessments. Scarce data on mobile species and the resources they need can also limit the type of analytical approaches available to derive such estimates. We quantified change in availability and use of key ecological resources required for breeding for a critically endangered nomadic habitat specialist, the Swift Parrot (Lathamus discolor). We compared estimates of occupied habitat derived from dynamic presence-background (i.e., presence-only data) climatic models with estimates derived from dynamic occupancy models that included a direct measure of food availability. We then compared estimates that incorporate fine-resolution spatial data on the availability of key ecological resources (i.e., functional habitats) with more common approaches that focus on broader climatic suitability or vegetation cover (due to the absence of fine-resolution data). The occupancy models produced significantly (P < 0.001) smaller (up to an order of magnitude) and more spatially discrete estimates of the total occupied area than climate-based models. The spatial location and extent of the total area occupied with the occupancy models was highly variable between years (131 and 1498 km² ). Estimates accounting for the area of functional habitats were significantly smaller (2-58% [SD 16]) than estimates based only on the total area occupied. An increase or decrease in the area of one functional habitat (foraging or nesting) did not necessarily correspond to an increase or decrease in the other. Thus, an increase in the extent of occupied area may not equate to improved habitat quality or function. We argue these patterns are typical for mobile resource specialists but often go unnoticed because of limited data over relevant spatial and temporal scales and lack of spatial data on the availability of key resources. Understanding changes in the relative availability of functional habitats is crucial to informing conservation planning and accurately assessing extinction risk for mobile resource specialists.

The problem of estimating recent genetic connectivity in a changing world

Accurate understanding of population connectivity is important to conservation because dispersal can play an important role in population dynamics, microevolution, and assessments of extirpation risk and population rescue. Genetic methods are increasingly used to infer population connectivity because advances in technology have made them more advantageous (e.g., cost effective) relative to ecological methods. Given the reductions in wildlife population connectivity since the Industrial Revolution and more recent drastic reductions from habitat loss, it is important to know the accuracy of and biases in genetic connectivity estimators when connectivity has declined recently. Using simulated data, we investigated the accuracy and bias of 2 common estimators of migration (movement of individuals among populations) rate. We focused on the timing of the connectivity change and the magnitude of that change on the estimates of migration by using a coalescent-based method (Migrate-n) and a disequilibrium-based method (BayesAss). Contrary to expectations, when historically high connectivity had declined recently: (i) both methods over-estimated recent migration rates; (ii) the coalescent-based method (Migrate-n) provided better estimates of recent migration rate than the disequilibrium-based method (BayesAss); (iii) the coalescent-based method did not accurately reflect long-term genetic connectivity. Overall, our results highlight the problems with comparing coalescent and disequilibrium estimates to make inferences about the effects of recent landscape change on genetic connectivity among populations. We found that contrasting these 2 estimates to make inferences about genetic-connectivity changes over time could lead to inaccurate conclusions.

Geographic range size and extinction risk assessment in nomadic species

Geographic range size is often conceptualized as a fixed attribute of a species and treated as such for the purposes of quantification of extinction risk; species occupying smaller geographic ranges are assumed to have a higher risk of extinction, all else being equal. However many species are mobile, and their movements range from relatively predictable to-and-fro migrations to complex irregular movements shown by nomadic species. These movements can lead to substantial temporary expansion and contraction of geographic ranges, potentially to levels which may pose an extinction risk. By linking occurrence data with environmental conditions at the time of observations of nomadic species, we modeled the dynamic distributions of 43 arid-zone nomadic bird species across the Australian continent for each month over 11 years and calculated minimum range size and extent of fluctuation in geographic range size from these models. There was enormous variability in predicted spatial distribution over time; 10 species varied in estimated geographic range size by more than an order of magnitude, and 2 species varied by >2 orders of magnitude. During times of poor environmental conditions, several species not currently classified as globally threatened contracted their ranges to very small areas, despite their normally large geographic range size. This finding raises questions about the adequacy of conventional assessments of extinction risk based on static geographic range size (e.g., IUCN Red Listing). Climate change is predicted to affect the pattern of resource fluctuations across much of the southern hemisphere, where nomadism is the dominant form of animal movement, so it is critical we begin to understand the consequences of this for accurate threat assessment of nomadic species. Our approach provides a tool for discovering spatial dynamics in highly mobile species and can be used to unlock valuable information for improved extinction risk assessment and conservation planning.

Association between recent internal travel and malaria in Ugandan highland and highland fringe areas

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association between travel (recency of travel, transmission intensity at destination compared to origin and duration of travel) and confirmed malaria in Uganda.

METHODS

Health facility-based case-control study in highland (~2200 m), and highland fringe (~1500 m) areas with adjustment for other covariates.

RESULTS

In the highland site, patients who had travelled to areas of higher transmission intensity than their home (origin) areas recently were nearly seven times more likely to have confirmed malaria than those who had not (OR 6.9; P = 0.01, 95% CI: 1.4-33.1). In the highland fringe site, there was also a statistically significant association between travel and malaria (OR 2.1; P = 0.04, 95% CI: 1.1-3.9).

CONCLUSIONS

For highland areas, or areas of low malaria transmission, health authorities need to consider internal migrants when designing malaria control programs. Control interventions should include information campaigns reminding residents in these areas of the risk of malaria infection through travel and to provide additional mosquito nets for migrants to use during travel. Health authorities may wish to improve diagnosis in health facilities in highland areas by adding travel history to malaria case definitions. Where routine monitoring data are used to evaluate the impact of interventions on the malaria burden in highland areas, health authorities and donors need ensure that only cases from the local area and not 'imported cases' are counted.

Seizures, cysticercosis and rural-to-urban migration: the PERU MIGRANT study

Objectives

To examine the prevalence of seizures, epilepsy and seropositivity to cysticercosis in rural villagers (cysticercosis-endemic setting), rural-to-urban migrants into a non-endemic urban shanty town and urban inhabitants of the same non-endemic shanty town.

Methods

Three Peruvian populations (n = 985) originally recruited into a study about chronic diseases and migration were studied. These groups included rural inhabitants from an endemic region (n = 200), long-term rural-to-urban migrants (n = 589) and individuals living in the same urban setting (n = 196). Seizure disorders were detected by a survey, and a neurologist examined positive respondents. Serum samples from 981/985 individuals were processed for cysticercosis antibodies on immunoblot.

Results

Epilepsy prevalence (per 1000 people) was 15.3 in the urban group, 35.6 in migrants and 25 in rural inhabitants. A gradient in cysticercosis antibody seroprevalence was observed: urban 2%, migrant 13.5% and rural group 18% (P < 0.05). A similarly increasing pattern of higher seroprevalence was observed among migrants by age at migration. In rural villagers, there was strong evidence of an association between positive serology and having seizures (P = 0.011) but such an association was not observed in long-term migrants or in urban residents. In the entire study population, compared with seronegative participants, those with strong antibody reactions (≥ 4 antibody bands) were more likely to have epilepsy (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

It is not only international migration that affects cysticercosis endemicity; internal migration can also affect patterns of endemicity within an endemic country. The neurological consequences of cysticercosis infection likely outlast the antibody response for years after rural-to-urban migration.

Objectifs

Examiner la prévalence des crises d’épilepsie, de l’épilepsie et de la séropositivité à la cysticercose chez les villageois des zones rurales (cadre endémique pour la cysticercose), chez les migrants des zones ruraux vers les zones urbaines dans un bidonville urbain non endémique et chez les habitants urbains du même bidonville non endémique.

Méthodes

Trois populations péruviennes (n = 985) recrutées initialement dans une étude sur les maladies chroniques et la migration, ont été étudiées. Ces groupes comprenaient des habitants de zones rurales d'une région d'endémie (n = 200), des migrants de long terme de zones ruraux vers les villes (n = 589) et les personnes vivant dans le même milieu urbain (n = 196). Les troubles épileptiques ont été détectés par un sondage et un neurologue a examiné les répondants positifs. Des échantillons de sérum de 981/985 individus ont été testés pour les anticorps de cysticercose par Immunoblot.

Résultats

La prévalence de l’épilepsie (pour 1000 personnes) était de 15,3 dans le groupe urbain; 35,6 chez les migrants et 25 dans la population rurale. Un gradient dans la séroprévalence des anticorps de la cysticercose a été observé: dans le groupe urbain 2%, le groupe de migrants 13,5% et le groupe rural 18% (p <0,05). Une tendance croissante similaire de séroprévalence plus élevée a été observée chez les migrants selon l’âge à la migration. Chez les villageois ruraux, il y avait des preuves solides d'une association entre une sérologie positive et le fait d'avoir des crises (p = 0,011), mais une telle association n'a pas été observée chez les migrants de long terme ou chez les résidents urbains. Dans l'ensemble de la population de l’étude, ceux avec de fortes réactions d'anticorps (≥ 4 bandes d'anticorps) étaient plus susceptibles d'avoir l’épilepsie (p <0,001) comparé aux participants séronégatifs.

Conclusions

La migration internationale n'est pas la seule qui affecte l'endémicité de la cysticercose; la migration interne peut aussi modifier les profils d'endémicité au sein d'un même pays d'endémie. Les conséquences neurologiques de l'infection par la cysticercose sont susceptibles de survivre à la réponse d'anticorps durant des années après la migration des zones rurales vers les zones urbaines.

Objetivos

Examinar la prevalencia de convulsiones, epilepsia, y seropositividad para cisticercosis entre población rural (de zonas endémicas para cisticercosis), inmigrantes provenientes de zonas rurales a tugurios urbanos no endémicos, y habitantes urbanos de los mismo tugurios urbanos no endémicos.

Métodos

Se estudiaron tres poblaciones peruanas (n=985) originalmente reclutadas en un estudio de enfermedades crónicas y migración. Estos grupos incluían habitantes rurales de una región endémica (n=200), inmigrantes de larga duración de zonas rurales a urbanas (n=589), e individuos que vivían en la misma zona urbana (n=196). Las convulsiones se detectaron mediante una encuesta y un neurólogo examinó a quienes habían respondido positivamente. Se procesaron muestras de suero de 981/985 individuos en busca de anticuerpos para cisticercosis mediante inmunoblot.

Resultados

La prevalencia de epilepsia (por 1,000 personas) era de 15.3 en el grupo urbano, 35.6 en inmigrantes y 25 en habitantes rurales. Se observó un gradiente en la seroprevalencia de los anticuerpos para cisticercosis: grupos urbano 2%, inmigrante 13.5% y rural 18% (p<0.05). Se observó un patrón de aumento similar de mayor seroprevalencia entre inmigrantes según la edad que tenían en el momento de emigrar. En pobladores rurales, había una evidencia importante de asociación entre tener una serología positiva y sufrir convulsiones (p=0.011), pero esta asociación no se observaba en inmigrantes de larga duración o residentes urbanos. En la población al completo, comparada con los participantes seronegativos, aquellos con una fuerte reactividad de anticuerpos (≥4 bandas de anticuerpos) tenían una mayor probabilidad de sufrir epilepsia (p<0.001).

Conclusiones

No solo la migración internacional afecta la endemicidad de cisticercosis; la migración interna también puede afectar los patrones de endemicidad dentro de un país endémico. Las consecuencias neurológicas de la infección por cisticercos podrían durar más que la respuesta a anticuerpos años después de la migración de zonas rurales a zonas urbanas.

Characterizing the width of amphibian movements during postbreeding migration

Habitat linkages can help maintain connectivity of animal populations in developed landscapes. However, the lack of empirical data on the width of lateral movements (i.e., the zigzagging of individuals as they move from one point to point another) makes determining the width of such linkages challenging. We used radiotracking data from wood frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus) and spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) in a managed forest in Maine (U.S.A.) to characterize movement patterns of populations and thus inform planning for the width of wildlife corridors. For each individual, we calculated the polar coordinates of all locations, estimated the vector sum of the polar coordinates, and measured the distance from each location to the vector sum. By fitting a Gaussian distribution over a histogram of these distances, we created a population-level probability density function and estimated the 50th and 95th percentiles to determine the width of lateral movement as individuals progressed from the pond to upland habitat. For spotted salamanders 50% of lateral movements were ≤13 m wide and 95% of movements were ≤39 m wide. For wood frogs, 50% of lateral movements were ≤17 m wide and 95% of movements were ≤ 51 m wide. For both species, those individuals that traveled the farthest from the pond also displayed the greatest lateral movement. Our results serve as a foundation for spatially explicit conservation planning for pond-breeding amphibians in areas undergoing development. Our technique can also be applied to movement data from other taxa to aid in designing habitat linkages.

Perceived discrimination, humiliation, and mental health: a mixed-methods study among Haitian migrants in the Dominican Republic

OBJECTIVE

Many Haitian migrants live and work as undocumented laborers in the Dominican Republic. This study examines the legacy of anti-Haitian discrimination in the Dominican Republic and association of discrimination with mental health among Haitian migrants.

DESIGN

This study used mixed methods to generate hypotheses for associations between discrimination and mental health of Haitian migrants in the Dominican Republic. In-depth interviews were conducted with 21 Haitian and 18 Dominican community members and clinicians. One hundred and twenty-seven Haitian migrants participated in a pilot cross-sectional community survey. Instruments included culturally adapted Kreyòl versions of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and a locally developed function impairment scale.

RESULTS

Haitian migrants described humiliation (imilyasyon) as a reason for mental distress and barrier to health care. Dominicans reported that discrimination (discriminación) was not a current social problem and attributed negative social interactions to sociocultural, behavioral, and biological differences between Dominicans and Haitians. These qualitative findings were supported in the quantitative analyses. Perceived discrimination was significantly associated with depression severity and functional impairment. Perceived mistreatment by Dominicans was associated with a 6.6-point increase in BDI score (90% confidence interval [CI]: 3.29, 9.9). Knowing someone who was interrogated or deported was associated with a 3.4-point increase in BAI score (90% CI: 0.22, 6.64).

CONCLUSION

Both qualitative and quantitative methods suggest that perceived discrimination and the experience of humiliation contribute to Haitian migrant mental ill-health and limit access to health care. Future research should evaluate these associations and identify intervention pathways for both improved treatment access and reduction of discrimination-related health risk factors.

Optimism and challenge for science-based conservation of migratory species in and out of U.S. National Parks

Public agencies sometimes seek outside guidance when capacity to achieve their mission is limited. Through a cooperative agreement and collaborations with the U.S. National Park Service (NPS), we developed recommendations for a conservation program for migratory species. Although NPS manages ∼ 36 million hectares of land and water in 401 units, there is no centralized program to conserve wild animals reliant on NPS units that also migrate hundreds to thousands of kilometers beyond parks. Migrations are imperiled by habitat destruction, unsustainable harvest, climate change, and other impediments. A successful program to counter these challenges requires public support, national and international outreach, and flourishing migrant populations. We recommended two initial steps. First, in the short term, launch or build on a suite of projects for high-profile migratory species that can serve as proof to demonstrate the centrality of NPS units to conservation at different scales. Second, over the longer term, build new capacity to conserve migratory species. Capacity building will entail increasing the limited knowledge among park staff about how and where species or populations migrate, conditions that enable migration, and identifying species' needs and resolving them both within and beyond parks. Building capacity will also require ensuring that park superintendents and staff at all levels support conservation beyond statutory borders. Until additional diverse stakeholders and a broader American public realize what can be lost and do more to protect it and engage more with land management agencies to implement actions that facilitate conservation, long distance migrations are increasingly likely to become phenomena of the past.

[Perception of difficulties in family medicine in the delivery of health to economic immigrants]

OBJECTIVES

To find the problems, as seen by family doctors, in care for immigrants, with description of proposed solutions.

DESIGN

Transversal and descriptive.

PARTICIPANTS

262 doctors from 18 health centres in a district.

MEASUREMENTS

Each professional received a questionnaire containing social and demographic variables, number of immigrants seen per day, their place of origin, 6 items on accessibility, 5 on barriers to care, 6 on clinic, and 7 on solutions.

RESULTS

159 doctors, 57.2% women, replied. Average age was 41.1; 64% saw 2-3 immigrants a day. 52.3% (95% CI, 45.0%-61.4%) recognised that care for immigrants posed professional problems. They said that immigrants attended as an emergency more often (81.1%); they more often had no clinical records (74.7%); and they had difficulties obtaining a health card (53%). 67% expressed no difficulties for getting to the hospital. Perceived barriers were the mobility of immigrants (82.9%), language (82.3%), and culture (71.3%). Solutions suggested were translators (95.6%) or cultural intermediary (82.7%). Clinically, doctors saw no differences of pathology in immigrants (56.7%), and no greater psychiatric pathology (66%). Lack of skill in contagious pathologies hampered care (60.3%). 82.8% affirmed that specific protocols were needed. 80.3% argued for a unit of imported diseases. Among care priorities were information on health circuits and making the health card easier to obtain.

CONCLUSIONS

The difficulties sustained by a broad range of professionals are diverse, with access and linguistic-cultural questions standing out. To palliate them, sensitivity from health staff and action from management are needed.