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Causes of egg‐size variation between and within clutches were studied in clutches of the blue tit (Parus caeruleus L.). We measured the mass of each egg in the laying sequence in unmanipulated clutches, in clutches of parents experimentally supplied with extra food before egg‐laying, and in clutches of parents supplemented with extra food after the start of egg‐laying. Hatchlings were weighed at a
In altricial birds, the period of parental investment covers three distinctly separated phases: Incubation, feeding of nestlings, and feeding of fledglings in the family group. The transition between the latter two phases occurs when the brood fledges and leaves the nest. To investigate which party, parents or offspring, initiates nest leaving, different-aged broods were swopped between nestboxes
Although hoarding has been studied intensively for many decades, few studies have attempted to measure its actual fitness consequences. To fill this gap, we used ptilochronology, the growth of replacement feathers as a measure of nutritional status, and thus a reflection of starvation risk, of individual European nuthatches (Sitta europaea) during winter. We found that nuthatches are long-term hoa
Duplicate, bilateral structures of individual animals are usually symmetrical. In cases where such structures are asymmetrical, the degree of asymmetry may indicate the propensity of an individual to stray from the genetically programmed outcome during the development of the structure. Asymmetries have recently been assumed to constitute an honest signal of male quality and, as such, a cue for fem
European nuthatches, Sitta europaea, live all year in permanent pair-territories. In winter, hoarded food is an important food source. To measure the rate of cache pilfering within pairs, each member of six pairs was supplied with either white- or dark-shelled sunflower seeds which the birds cached. When each bird had cached some 100-300 seeds, the feeder was removed and the birds were monitored d
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the Western world. In Sweden, 1 in 9 women will be diagnosed during their lifetime, amounting to >8,000 new breast cancers per year. Each year around 1,400 patients die from their disease. A comprehensive report entitled "highlighted several areas in need of more research", including how weight, alcohol consumption, smoking, host metabolism an
Embedded systems are built for specific purposes and are optimized to meet different kind of constraints, such as performance, timing, power and cost. The design process therefore involves different optimization activities. In this paper, we discuss the use of constraint programming (CP) technology for these optimization problems. The main advantages and disadvantages of applying CP to embedded sy
We performed supplemental feeding experiments during three breeding seasons of the Blue Tit (Parus caeruleus L.) in order to establish the importance of food in reproductive timing. In particular, we addressed the question of why the response to supplemental food is restricted to 3—6 d in many bird species. Supplemental food advanced the start of egg—laying in all three breeding seasons. The mean
Questions concerning the occurrence of adaptive sex ratio manipulation have a long research tradition in evolutionary biology, but evidence from birds is scarce. It has been suggested that birds are unable to adaptively determine the sex of their young because of the constraints of their sex determination systems. Here we report results from a study of variation in offspring sex ratio in the blue
Aim and objectives: To explore nurses’ articulations of support and communication regarding sexual health with patients.Background: Sexual health is adversely effected by cancer and various oncological treatments. Patients’ often have the experience that health-care professionals do not talk about sexual health.Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven nurses in Southern Sweden.Aim and objectives: To explore nurses' articulations of support and communication regarding sexual health with patients. Background: Sexual health is adversely effected by cancer and various oncological treatments. Patients' often have the experience that healthcare professionals do not talk about sexual health. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven nurses in Southern Sweden
1. We manipulated the size hierarchy in broods of marsh tits (Parus palustris L.) by simulating hatching asynchrony to study how nestlings of different competitive ability, allocate their share of parental feedings to different growth strategies. 2. The mean rate of mass increase and the mass when the growth curve had reached an asymptote increased with the predicted competitive ability of nestlin
Breeding activities and molt are generally thought to be mutually exclusive in birds since both are energetically costly and are normally separated in time. However, sometimes molt overlaps with breeding to some degree. A trade-off between adult somatic maintenance functions (feather renewal) and parental care is then to be expected. The consequences of this are largely unknown, and there are few
In an aviary study, each of six male European Nuthatches Sitta europaea was allowed to hoard 30 sunflower seeds in natural hoarding substrates. After eight days, each bird was allowed to search for its cached seeds and its performance compared with that of a bird without previous experience of the specific aviary. In all but one case, the hoarder found significantly more seeds than did the naive b
The datasets presented here enable historical longitudinal studies of micro-level geographic factors in a rural setting. These types of datasets are new, as historical demography studies have generally failed to properly include the micro-level geographic factors. Our datasets describe the geography over five Swedish rural parishes and a geocoded population (at the property unit level) for this arThe datasets presented here enable historical longitudinal studies of micro-level geographic factors in a rural setting. These types of datasets are new, as historical demography studies have generally failed to properly include the micro-level geographic factors. Our datasets describe the geography over five Swedish rural parishes and a geocoded population (at the property unit level) for this ar
