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\"Patterns are fascinating! They can be so beautiful that people come from all over the world to see them, or so familiar you hardly notice them. They appear everywhere: beehives, dinner plates, even the bottoms of your shoes! With stunning photographs that show diverse examples from nature and artwork around the world, Bruce Goldstone reveals the secrets behind patterns--and gives you some fun ideas for making your own\"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
Coexistence of predators in time: Effects of season and prey availability on species activity within a Mediterranean carnivore guild
The degree of coexistence among predators can determine the structure of ecological communities. Niche partitioning is a common strategy applied by species to enhance their coexistence. Diet, habitat, or time use can be responsible for segregation among carnivore species, the latter factor being the least studied in Mediterranean ecosystems. Terrestrial medium‐sized carnivores (i.e., mesocarnivores) carry out important functions in ecosystems, and identifying their interactions is essential for their conservation. In this study, we explore the activity of a terrestrial mesocarnivore guild in order to determine seasonal differences in daily activity patterns of competitors and prey. We also investigate how the abundance of a common mesocarnivore prey in the region, small mammals, influences the activity of predators. During a year, camera trap devices (n = 18) were installed in Montseny Natural Park (Catalan Pre‐Coastal Range, North‐East Iberian Peninsula), a region that hosts five mesocarnivore species. Camera trapping detections were used to estimate their daily activity patterns and corresponding overlaps. We also surveyed small mammal plots (n = 5) in order to calculate prey abundance and test its effect on the relative activity of each carnivore species. Despite all target mesocarnivores are mainly nocturnal, the activity overlap among them varies according to species particularities and season. Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) appears as a generalist species in terms of time use, whereas stone marten (Martes foina) and genet (Genetta genetta) show the most similar activity patterns and both of them seem to be positively influenced by small mammal abundance. Overall, the diversity found in the way mesocarnivore species use time could facilitate their coexistence. Despite activity pattern similarities among carnivore species should not be directly translated to negative interactions, they can have a strong influence in habitat and resource‐limited ecosystems. Therefore, activity overlaps should be taken into account when discussing wildlife management actions. Here, we investigate how temporal niche dynamics of five Mediterranean carnivores can affect coexistence among intraguild species. We show differences on their time use that can facilitate co‐occurence and the influence of season and prey availability on it. Therefore, accounting for activity differences might help to better understand the diversity of intraguild species observed in an ecosystem.
Journal Article
Physical activity and eating behaviors patterns associated with high blood pressure among Chinese children and adolescents
Background
Physical activity and eating behavior are associated with hypertension in children and adolescents. Revealing the associations between physical activity patterns, eating behavior patterns and high blood pressure (HBP) could help improve the problem of hypertension from the actual children’s physical activities and eating behaviors.
Methods
A total of 687 students aged 8–15 years were selected from two nine-year primary and secondary schools using stratified cluster random sampling method. The students’ body height, weight, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were measured, and their physical activity time and eating behaviors were surveyed by using CLASS questionnaire and self-made eating behavior questionnaire, respectively. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to extract moderate to vigorous physical activity factor (MVPAF), sedentary activity factor (SAF), healthy eating behavior factor (HEBF), unhealthy eating behavior factor (UHEBF). MVPAF ≥ SAF was defined as moderate to vigorous physical activity pattern (MVPAP), MVPAF < SAF was defined as sedentary activity pattern (SAP). HEBF ≥ UHEBF was defined as healthy eating behavior pattern (HEBP), while the opposite was defined as unhealthy eating behavior pattern (UHEBP). Lifestyles includes physical activity patterns and eating behavior patterns.
Results
The overall prevalence of hypertension was 5.8% (40/687), and was 5.69% (21/369) in boys and 5.97% (19/318) in girls, respectively. The MVPAF and UHEBF in boys were significantly higher than those in girls (
P
< 0.01), while the SAF in girls was significantly higher than that in boys (
P
< 0.05). The SAF was positively correlated with SBP in girls (
β
(
SE
) = 0.14 (0.50), P = 0.016), and was positively correlated with SBP (
β
(
SE
) = 0.21 (1.22), P = 0.000 and DBP (
β
(
SE
) = 0.14 (0.49), P = 0.006) in boys. The MVPAF was negatively correlated with DBP (
β
(
SE
)=-0.11 (0.40), P = 0.022) in boys. In boys, the SAP increased the risks of HBP (OR (95% CI):3.34 (1.30–8.63)) and high DBP (OR (95% CI):3.08 (1.02–9.34)) compared with MVPAP.
Conclusion
Compared with the boys with MVPAP, boys with SAP may increase the risks of HBP and high DBP. The SAF may be positively associated with SBP in boys and girls, while the MVPAF may be negatively associated with DBP in boys.
Journal Article
Adaptation of wild boar (Sus scrofa) activity in a human-dominated landscape
Background
Wild boars (
Sus scrofa
L.) are globally widely distributed, and their populations have increased in Europe during recent decades. Encounters between humans and wild boars are rare because of the predominantly nocturnal lifestyle of the latter, and wild boar management by hunting is a challenging task. Animal activity patterns are important for understanding the behaviour of a species. However, knowledge of detailed temporal patterns and an understanding of the drivers of wild boar activity at a fine temporal scale are lacking. Of special relevance for human–wild boar interactions (e.g., encounters, conflicts, and management) is the question of whether nocturnal activity depends on anthropogenic factors and, particularly, how local hunting regimes may affect activity patterns. We used GPS telemetry and acceleration measurements to shed light on this part of wild boar behaviour, observing 34 animals in Central Europe. Animals were tracked along a gradient of hunting pressure from hunting-free areas to areas with low or high hunting pressure. Fitted generalised additive models allowed predicting the probability of active behaviour under differing disturbance regimes precisely to day of year and time of day.
Results
The wild boars were predominantly nocturnal, with peak activity at approximately midnight. However, the data showed increased activity during daylight for wild boars that used no-hunting zones or reduced-hunting zones. Large areas with low disturbance levels promoted activity during daylight more than smaller areas with an intermediate disturbance regime. High air temperatures and locations within forests reduced the probability of active behaviour, whereas proximity to tracks used for forestry or agriculture was accompanied by a higher probability of activity.
Conclusions
We conclude that wild boars flexibly adjust their activity to their local environmental conditions, considering disturbances at the scale of long-term home ranges as well as actual small-scale landscape quality. Entire wild boar home ranges should be covered in the delineation of reserves intending to stimulate activity during daylight.
Journal Article
A time-use activity-pattern recognition model for activity-based travel demand modeling
This study develops a new comprehensive pattern recognition modeling framework that leverages activity data to derive clusters of homogeneous daily activity patterns, for use in activity-based travel demand modeling. The pattern recognition model is applied to time use data from the large Halifax STAR household travel diary survey. Several machine learning techniques not previously employed in travel behavior analysis are used within the pattern recognition modeling framework. Pattern complexity of activity sequences in the dataset was recognized using the FCM algorithm, and resulted in identification of twelve unique clusters of homogeneous daily activity patterns. We then analysed inter-dependencies in each identified cluster and characterized the cluster memberships through their socio-demographic attributes using the CART classifier. Based on the socio-demographic characteristics of individuals we were able to correctly identify which cluster individuals belonged to, and also predict various information related to their activities, such as start time, duration, travel distance, and travel mode, for use in activity-based travel demand modeling. To execute the pattern recognition model, the 24-h activity patterns are split into 288 three dimensional 5 min intervals. Each interval includes information on activity types, duration, start time, location, and travel mode if applicable. Results from aggregated statistical evaluation and Kolmogorov–Smirnov tests indicate that there is heterogeneous diversity among identified clusters in terms of temporal distribution, and substantial differences in a variety of socio-demographic variables. The homogeneous clusters identified in this study may be used to more accurately predict the scheduling behavior of specific population groups in activity-based modeling, and hence to improve prediction of the times and locations of their travel demands. Finally, the results of this study are expected to be implemented within the activity-based travel demand model, Scheduler for Activities, Locations, and Travel (SALT).
Journal Article
Cortical activity emerges in region-specific patterns during early brain development
The development of precise neural circuits in the brain requires spontaneous patterns of neural activity prior to functional maturation. In the rodent cerebral cortex, patchwork and wave patterns of activity develop in somatosensory and visual regions, respectively, and are present at birth. However, whether such activity patterns occur in noneutherian mammals, as well as when and how they arise during development, remain open questions relevant for understanding brain formation in health and disease. Since the onset of patterned cortical activity is challenging to study prenatally in eutherians, here we offer an approach in a minimally invasive manner using marsupial dunnarts, whose cortex forms postnatally. We discovered similar patchwork and travelling waves in the dunnart somatosensory and visual cortices at stage 27 (equivalent to newborn mice) and examined earlier stages of development to determine the onset of these patterns and how they first emerge. We observed that these patterns of activity emerge in a region-specific and sequential manner, becoming evident as early as stage 24 in somatosensory and stage 25 in visual cortices (equivalent to embryonic day 16 and 17, respectively, in mice), as cortical layers establish and thalamic axons innervate the cortex. In addition to sculpting synaptic connections of existing circuits, evolutionarily conserved patterns of neural activity could therefore help regulate other early events in cortical development.
Journal Article
Morning physical activity may be more beneficial for blood lipids than afternoon physical activity in older adults: a cross-sectional study
BackgroundThe effect of differences in daily physical activity patterns on blood lipids has not been determined. This study examines the effects of the differences in free-living daily physical activity patterns (amount and intensity) on blood lipid levels in older adults.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 51 older participants (71.8 ± 0.6 years, men = 8, women = 43). A triaxial accelerometer was used to assess physical activity patterns. The time from awakening to bedtime for each participant was used for group classification based on the amount (number of steps) and intensity (moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, MVPA) of physical activity. The morning step group (M Step) was defined as those who took more steps in the morning, and the afternoon step group (A Step) was defined as those who took more steps in the afternoon. The same method was used for MVPA (morning MVPA: M MVPA; afternoon MVPA: A MVPA). Blood samples were collected at the start of the study to determine blood lipid levels.ResultsNumber of steps taken showed a trend toward lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels in the M Step group compared with the A Step group. The LDL/high-density lipoprotein (HDL) ratio was significantly lower in the M Step group than the A Step group (p < 0.05). The M MVPA group also had higher HDL-C levels and significantly lower LDL/HDL ratios than the A MVPA group (p < 0.05).ConclusionsThese results suggest that compared with afternoon physical activity, daily morning physical activity (amount and intensity) is more effective in improving blood lipid levels.
Journal Article
Help whom and help what? Intergenerational co-residence and the gender differences in time use among dual-earner households in Beijing, China
An extensive literature has documented the conflict between employment and household responsibilities and its impacts on the gendered patterns of daily activities in dual-earner households. However, most studies have focused exclusively on the division of household labour in nuclear households, with insufficient attention paid to the impact of alternative household strategies such as co-residence with extended family members. This article investigates the extent to which the presence of elderly parents shifts gendered activity patterns and even reduces the gender inequality in time use in urban China. By drawing on an activity diary survey conducted in Beijing in 2012, we compare and contrast the gendered patterns in time use between nuclear family households and extended family households. We find that co-residence mitigates the tension between employment and household responsibilities for women and leads to greater gender equality in the division of household labour and a reduced gender gap in the time spent on employment. However, coresidence only enables women to shift their time allocation from household responsibilities to employment rather than to pursue discretionary activities, and therefore its positive role is limited. We further discuss the policy implications given the limitations of intergenerational co-residence as an individual-based solution for childcare and other social services in transitional urban China.
大量文献记录了就业和家庭责任之间的冲突及其对双收入家庭日常活动性别模式的影响。然而，大多数研究都专注于核心家庭中的家庭劳动分工，而对其他家庭策略的影响则没有给予足够的重视，例如与扩张家庭成员共同居住的家庭策略。本文探讨了老年父母的同住在多大程度上改变了性别活动模式，甚至减少了中国城市家庭时间使用中的性别不平等。利用2012年在北京进行的活动日记调查，我们比较和对比核心家庭和扩张家庭之间的性别时间使用模式。我们发现，共同居住减轻了妇女就业和家庭责任之间的紧张关系，使得家庭分工中在性别方面更加平等，并且缩小了就业时间方面的性别差距。然而，共同居住只能使妇女将时间分配从家庭责任转移到就业，而不是追求兴趣活动，因此其积极作用是有限的。我们进一步讨论了政策含义，因为代际共同居住具有局限性，它是中国转型城市中基于个人选择的儿童保育和其他社会服务解决方案。
Journal Article
Assessing the potential of camera traps for estimating activity pattern compared to collar-mounted activity sensors: a case study on Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx in south-eastern Norway
The diel activity patterns of animals convey information about physiology, ecological niches and animal behaviour relevant for both applied conservation and more theoretical research. However, these patterns are challenging to study in the field. The current gold-standard approach to quantify movements and activity patterns of medium to large wildlife species is to use global positioning systems (GPS) collars equipped with activity sensors (e.g. accelerometers). A more recent approach consists of inferring activity patterns from the time-stamped pictures of wildlife obtained from camera traps now routinely used in wildlife monitoring projects. However, few studies have attempted to validate estimates of activity patterns obtained from camera traps against those obtained from activity sensors. In this study, we compared the diel activity pattern of the Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx inferred from detections by a network of over 300 camera traps active between 2010 and 2020, to activity patterns obtained from 18 GPS-collared lynx (8 females, 10 males) equipped with 2-axis accelerometer sensors, in the same area of southern Norway. Our results suggest that camera traps can be used to estimate diel activity curves that are comparable to those obtained from accelerometers. In our study, 75 detections were sufficient to approximate the diel activity pattern obtained from accelerometer. Subsampling indicated that a low number of detections results in a coarser approximation of the diel activity pattern. Accelerometer, activity pattern, camera trap, lynx lynx, methodology
Journal Article
Nitrogen addition shapes soil enzyme activity patterns by changing pH rather than the composition of the plant and microbial communities in an alpine meadow soil
Aims
Increasing nitrogen (N) deposition has considerable effects on soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition mediated by soil enzyme activities. Few studies, however, have explored how N addition shapes soil enzyme activity patterns by changing plants, soils and microbes.
Methods
We conducted a five-year field fertilization experiment (0, 5, 10, and 15 g N m
−2
yr.
−1
) to study how N addition affected soil enzyme activity patterns in the topsoil (0–20 cm) and subsoil (20–40 cm) in a Tibetan alpine meadow. Enzyme activity patterns were calculated by the percentage of the sum of all measured enzyme activities. The composition of the plant and microbial communities were evaluated through measuring the abundance of plant functional groups and quantifying microbial phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs), respectively. Soil pH and available N were also measured.
Results
We found that soil N availability primarily controlled plant community composition, but pH controlled the composition of the microbial community, irrespective of soil depth. Soil enzyme activity patterns differed between two soil depths and among N addition rates. Importantly, N addition shaped soil enzyme activity patterns through the changes in soil pH rather than via the composition of the plant and microbial communities.
Conclusions
Our findings indicate that N addition can affect components of plant-soil system and, in particular, weaken the linkages between plant and microbial communities and enzyme activity patterns. The work suggests that N enrichment-induced soil acidification plays a key role in SOM decomposition and nutrient cycling in the Tibetan meadow ecosystem.
Journal Article