Colour Rings Research Articles

Dispersal of juvenile Marabou Storks Leptoptilos crumeniferus as determined by resightings

A total of 114 Marabou Stork chicks were ringed in the years 2003–2007 at the most southerly African breeding colony, Swaziland. Just one of 35 chicks fitted with colour rings was resighted by December 2007, while 17 of 79 chicks fitted with patagial tags were resighted. Juvenile Marabou Storks can disperse over 1 500 km within their first year after fledging, sufficient to cover the large distances between breeding colonies.

Nest Construction During Autumn Display and Winter Roosting in the Tree SparrowsPasser montanus

A study of Tree Sparrows was conducted near Warsaw, central Poland. During the breeding season, nest boxes were checked to record the presence of Tree Sparrow nests and broods. Nestlings, juveniles, and adults captured in mist nets were ringed with different combinations of colour rings to identify their age during visual observations in the autumn sexual display period. Before the autumn display, breeding nests were dyed in order to identify nest material added during the autumn display period. In winter, nest boxes were inspected to catch the birds roosting in them at night. The study was conducted in optimal and marginal habitat types. In the optimal habitat during the autumn sexual display, adult birds were much more abundant than in the marginal habitat. During the breeding season, 41% of the nest boxes were occupied in the optimal habitat, compared with 8% in the marginal habitat. The respective figures during the autumn display were 95% and 45%. Autumn nests were built in 83% and 12% of the nest boxes, respectively, and in winter, 35% and 7% of nest boxes, respectively, were used by birds for night-time roosting at night. The autumn display continued from early September to the end of October. For roosting at night in winter (November-March), Tree Sparrows selected nests according to their insulating quality. Most often they roosted in nest boxes containing nests from the breeding season with autumn nests built over them, then, in descending order of frequency, in nest boxes with autumn nests built in empty boxes, in boxes with breeding nests, and in completely empty boxes. Among birds roosting at night and captured on the first survey in winter, 86% were represented by pairs that had built those nests during the autumn display. Young birds that did not build autumn nests typically roosted at night in tree crowns. This implies that the construction of autumn nests is primarily a consequence of the autumn sexual display, and secondarily may be an adaptation for winter survival. The winter survival rate was significantly higher in juvenile Tree Sparrows that were found in nest boxes on winter nights than in those that were not.

Colour ringing of the Spotted Eagles (Aquila pomarina, Aquila clanga and their hybrids) in Europe - a review

Colour ringing of the Spotted Eagles (Aquila pomarina, Aquila clanga and their hybrids) in Europe - a review During the years 2000-2008 1377 Spotted Eagles (SE) (Aquila pomarina, Aquila clanga and their hybrids) have been colour ringed in Europe. Out of these, 1303 (94.6 %) were young birds and 74 (5.4 %) were adults. Out of the total, 1290 (93.7 %) were the Aquila pomarina Lesser Spotted Eagles (LSE) - 1229 (95.3 %) young and 61 (4.7 %) adults, 50 (3.6 %) were the Aquila clanga Greater Spotted Eagles (GSE) - 44 (88.0 %) young and 6 (12.0 %) adults and 37 (2.7 %) were the Aquila pomarina x Aquila clanga hybrids (LSE x GSE) - 30 (81.1 %) young and 7 (18.9 %) adults. With respect to the individual European countries the following SE species and numbers were ringed: Slovakia 636 (46.2 %), Poland 333 (24.2 %), Estonia 153 (11.1 %), Germany 116 (8.4 %), Lithuania 68 (4.9 %), Latvia 45 (3.3 %) and Belarus 26 (1.9 %). In the article authors presents a review on Spotted Eagle colour ringing programmes running in individual European countries.

Reproducibility of electronic tooth colour measurements

Clinical methods of investigation, such as tooth colour determination, should be simple, quick and reproducible. The determination of tooth colours usually relies upon manual comparison of a patient's tooth colour with a colour ring. After some days, however, measurement results frequently lack unequivocal reproducibility. This study aimed to examine an electronic method for reliable colour measurement. The colours of the teeth 14 to 24 were determined by three different examiners in 10 subjects using the colour measuring device Shade Inspector. In total, 12 measurements per tooth were taken. Two measurement time points were scheduled to be taken, namely at study onset (T(1)) and after 6 months (T(2)). At either time point, two measurement series per subject were taken by the different examiners at 2-week intervals. The inter-examiner and intra-examiner agreement of the measurement results was assessed. The concordance for lightness and colour intensity (saturation) was represented by the intra-class correlation coefficient. The categorical variable colour shade (hue) was assessed using the kappa statistic. The study results show that tooth colour can be measured independently of the examiner. Good agreement was found between the examiners.

Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina) colour ringing programme and its first results in the period 2000-2008 in Slovakia

Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina) colour ringing programme and its first results in the period 2000-2008 in Slovakia In Slovakia during 2000-2008, 636 Lesser Spotted Eagles (Aquila pomarina) were marked with readable colour rings with double figure code. This is the highest number of Lesser Spotted Eagles marked in such a way in Europe. From this sample, 621 ind. (97.6 %) were chicks at the nest and 15 ind. (2.4 %) were adult birds which were trapped and consequently ringed. In this period, 2 colour series of rings have been used in Slovakia. In 2000 the ringing started with yellow rings, and up until the end of 2008, 631 ex. (616 young and 15 adults) were ringed. In 2008, the ringing started with light blue series of rings and 5 young at the nest were ringed. In addition to readable rings, aluminium ornithological rings of the Ringing Centres of Czech Republic (NM Praha) and Slovakia (NM Bratislava) have been used. The yellow series was used in fewer numbers also in Germany and Poland for marking the Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina), the Greater Spotted Eagle (Aquila clanga), and eventually their hybrids. In this article the authors reported first observations in Slovakia of such marked Lesser Spotted Eagles in the field. Observed eagles were 1, 2, 4, 5, 7 and 8 years old. Some of them were already breeding and were observed taking care of their chicks.

Coloured rings produced on transparent plates

Beautiful coloured interference rings can be produced by using transparent plates such aswindow glass. A simple model explains this effect, which was described by Newton but hasalmost been forgotten.

Real‐time rendering of sky scene considering scattering and refraction

AbstractRealistic rendering of sky scene is important in game development and virtual reality. Traditional methods did not consider both the affect of atmospheric scattering and refraction, thus failing to realistically simulate the change of shape, color, and light ring of sky scene. In this paper, a new sky light model considering atmospheric scattering and refraction is proposed. We first calculate the refractional track of light through the atmosphere according to the refraction index. Then we adopt the scattered volume model to simplify the calculation of scattering light intensity. By adapting a path tracing algorithm considering refraction, the intensity distribution of sky light is calculated. Finally, various sky scenes in sunny day, foggy day, and that with rainbow and mirage under different conditions are realistically rendered in real time. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Comparison of the packaging and labeling of Target ClearRx with conventional prescription drug packaging and labeling

ObjectiveTo compare consumer preferences for Target Pharmacy’s ClearRx packaging and labeling with conventional prescription drug packaging and labeling. DesignProspective, hands-on comparison of packaging and labeling formats. SettingTwo suburban shopping malls in northern California in February and March 2006. ParticipantsVolunteer participants from local communities. InterventionsSelf-administered questionnaire. Participants were asked to compare ClearRx bottles with conventional cylindrical prescription bottles (both labeled as containing fluoxetine). They also were asked their opinions on three ClearRx bottles (labeled as containing albuterol, amoxicillin, or atenolol) with different color rings corresponding to three fictitious family members. Main outcome measuresConsumer preference for ClearRx or conventional packaging and labeling, consumer ability to differentiate between two types of packaging and labeling, consumer perception of safety design, and reasons for consumer preferences. ResultsThe majority of consumers (85%) preferred ClearRx packaging and labeling over the conventional format (10%; 5% uncertain; P < 0.0005). Consumers described distinct differences between the packaging and labeling formats, citing ClearRx as better designed for safety, easier to read, and having better organized warnings with larger type size. The ClearRx patient information card was rated by the majority of consumers as easy or very easy to access (91%; P < 0.0005), important or very important to retain as a reference during use (94%; P < 0.0005), and helpful for improving medication safety (91% agree or strongly agree; P < 0.0005). Features designed to avoid medication mix-ups (i.e., color rings, large type face for medication name) allowed consumers to easily distinguish among bottles of ClearRx. These findings were consistent across various demographic categories. ConclusionClearRx represents an important advance in meeting consumer needs for patient-centered designs in prescription packaging and labeling.

The 'Eurasian' Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) in Africa

The 'Eurasian' Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) nests in discrete areas across the western Palaearctic and is considered to be threatened. Western breeding populations winter along the Atlantic seaboard of Mauritania and Senegal, where they mingle with the Mauritanian subspecies P. l. balsaci. Their movements have been studied through colour ringing, which has shown that they spend their early years in Africa. Observations of Dutch breeding birds in the Mediterranean are scarce. The central European breeding population nests mainly in the Danube Basin. Recoveries of metal rings show that, while some winter in the Inner Niger Delta, most stay in the tidal Mediterranean areas of southern Tunisia and Libya, thus avoiding a long trans-Saharan journey. New colour-marking programmes in Italian and Greek breeding colonies have provided more information, but as yet there is no proof that young birds summer in the area. Some central European Spoonbills move through the Nile Delta and along the Nile to winter in southern Egypt and Sudan. Breeding Spoonbills of eastern Europe and western Asia also winter in southern Egypt and Sudan, while some winter as far east as Oman; as yet there are few ringing recoveries, but a colour-ringing programme in the Danube Delta begun in 2003 has already yielded recoveries in Spain and Oman. There is another African-breeding subspecies P. l. archeri in the Red Sea. We need to establish the importance of African wetlands for Spoonbills, concentrating on colour-ringed individuals, surveys in Libya, Egypt and Sudan, a search for summering immatures, and an investigation of why birds from the same breeding colonies take such different migration routes. La spatule blanche Platalea leucorodia (dite ≪eurasiatique≫ en langue anglaise!), espèce considérée comme étant menacée d'extinction, niche dans des zones discontinues du Paléarctique occidental. Les populations occidentales hivernent le long des côtes atlantiques de la Mauritanie et du Sénégal, où elles retrouvent la sous-espèce mauritanienne P. l. balsaci. Leurs migrations ont été étudiées grâce à l'utilisation de bagues en couleur, qui ont montré que les jeunes spatules passent leurs premières années en Afrique; les observations en Méditerranée d'oiseaux d'origine hollandaise sont rares. La population nicheuse de l'Europe centrale se reproduit surtout dans le bassin du Danube. Des reprises de bagues métalliques montrent que, si certains oiseaux hivernent dans le Delta Intérieur du Niger, la plupart restent en hiver dans les zones côtières, soumises à la marée, de la Tunisie méridionale et de la Libye, et évitent ainsi la longue traversée du Sahara. De nouveaux programmes de baguage en Italie et en Grèce, à l'usage de bagues de couleur, ont fourni des informations supplémentaires, mais jusqu'à présent la preuve de séjours estivaux dans ces zones par les immatures fait défaut. Certaines spatules venant d'Europe centrale traversent le delta du Nil pour hiverner dans le sud de l'Egypte et au Soudan. Les spatules nicheuses de l'Europe orientale et de l'ouest de l'Asie hivernent également dans le sud de l'Egypte et au Soudan, et certains vont jusqu'en Oman; jusqu'à présent, les reprises de baguage sont rares, mais un programme de baguage, entamé en 2003 dans le delta du Danube, a donné lieu à des reprises en Espagne et en Oman. Une deuxième sous-espèce africaine P. l. archeri, niche dans la Mer Rouge. Nous devons confirmer l'importance des zones humides africaines pour la spatule blanche, en utilisant des bagues de couleur, en effectuant des prospections en Libye, en Egypte et au Soudan, en recherchant les immatures estivants et en approfondissant la question de pourquoi les individus d'une même colonie suivent des chemins de migration tellement variables.

Ringing or colour‐banding does not increase predation mortality in redshanksTringa totanus

The use of metal and colour‐rings or bands as a means of measuring survival, movements and behaviour in birds is universal and fundamental to testing ecological and evolutionary theories. The practice rests on the largely untested assumption that the rings do not affect survival. However this assumption may not hold for several reasons, for example because the ‘oddity effect’ predicts predators select prey that appear different to their neighbours in order to avoid the ‘confusion effect’. We compared the foraging behaviour and the death rates of redshanks Tringa totanus conspicuously marked with six colour rings and one metal ring each to unmarked birds in a study system, where routinely up to 50% of the total population are killed by avian predators during a winter. If avian predators selectively target and/or have a higher capture success of ringed birds then we would predict the proportion of colour‐ringed birds in the population to decline through a winter. The proportion of colour‐ringed birds in the population did not change over the course of three separate winters, and in one winter the ratio of marked:unmarked birds found killed by sparrowhawks Accipiter nisus was the same as the ratio of marked birds alive in the population. In the year with largest sample size, power was sufficient to detect a greater than 2.2% difference in predation rate between ringed and unringed groups. The average kill rate difference between ringed and unringed birds across the three winters was less than 1% (0.73±2.2%) suggesting that even if there were differences in predation rate that were not detected because of low statistical power they were extremely small. There were no differences in any foraging measures comparing ringed and unringed birds, suggesting that the rings did not affect the ability of birds to meet their daily energy budgets. The results showed that colour‐ringed birds were not preferentially targeted or killed by avian predators, and suggest that the presence of a metal and even several large colour‐rings is unlikely to affect behaviour and predation mortality even under extreme selection.

Delayed Breeding Affects Lifetime Reproductive Success Differently in Male and Female Green Woodhoopoes

In cooperatively breeding species, many individuals only start breeding long after reaching physiological maturity [1], and this delay is expected to reduce lifetime reproductive success (LRS) [1-3]. Although many studies have investigated how nonbreeding helpers might mitigate the assumed cost of delayed breeding (reviewed in [3]), few have directly quantified the cost itself [4, 5] (but see [6, 7]). Moreover, although life-history tradeoffs frequently influence the sexes in profoundly different ways [8, 9], it has been generally assumed that males and females are similarly affected by a delayed start to breeding [7]. Here, we use 24 years of data to investigate the sex-specific cost of delayed breeding in the cooperatively breeding green woodhoopoe (Phoeniculus purpureus) and show that age at first breeding is related to LRS differently in males and females. As is traditionally expected, males that started to breed earlier in life had greater LRS than those that started later. However, females showed the opposite pattern: Those individuals that started to breed later in life actually had greater LRS than those that started earlier. In both sexes, the association between age at first breeding and LRS was driven by differences in breeding-career length, rather than per-season productivity. We hypothesize that the high mortality rate of young female breeders, and thus their short breeding careers, is related to a reduced ability to deal with the high physiological costs of reproduction in this species. These results demonstrate the importance of considering sex-specific reproductive costs when estimating the payoffs of life-history decisions and bring into question the long-held assumption that delayed breeding is necessarily costly.

Plastic colour rings and the incidence of leg injury in flycatchers (Muscicapidae, Monarchidae)

Studies of birds involving colour ringing can provide much detailed information concerning bird movements and behaviour without the need for recapture. However, a fundamental premise of colour ringing, and indeed all ringing studies, is that the rings applied should neither cause harm to the birds concerned nor alter their behaviour or survival. Colour rings have been used safely for many studies on a wide range of species, and problems are rarely reported. Here, we report on problems associated with colour‐ringing several species of flycatcher, and discuss the nature and extent of the issue. Unacceptable levels of leg injury were reported when flycatchers were ringed using either celluloid or PVC colour rings, particularly when the colour ring was proximal to the foot. In the light of our evidence, we would urge those considering embarking upon colour‐ringing projects involving flycatchers to consider using anodised aluminium colour rings and to avoid the use of plastic colour rings.

Comparative insights into questions of lepidopteran wing pattern homology

BackgroundButterfly and moth eyespots can share a similar appearance, involving multiple concentric rings of colored scales, but usually occuring in non-homologous positions on the wing. Within the butterflies, on the other hand, spots that share the same homologous position may not share the concentric ring structure; and, in butterfly species that have eyespots with concentric rings, ectopic eyespots with a similar ring structure can be induced by means of a simple epidermal wound. The extent to which all these eyespots, natural or induced, share similar genes and developmental mechanisms is investigated here by means of protein in-situ localizations in selected butterfly and moth species. In addition to looking at some of the transcription factors previously identified as being involved in eyespot formation, we also tested the involvement of candidate genes from the Wingless and TGF-β signaling pathways as putative morphogens for eyespot development.ResultsSaturniid moth and nymphalid butterfly eyespots with concentric rings of color express at least two transcription factors, Distal-less and Engrailed, in the center of the future pattern. Nymphalid eyespots centers also express the ligand Wingless and an activated signal transducer, a phosphorylated Smad protein, but neither these proteins nor the previous two proteins are found in pierid spot centers, which consist of a single patch of color. Both butterfly wing patterns, however, express a third transcription factor, Spalt, a portion of whose expression domain maps to the black scales on the adult wing. Wounding a nymphalid wing, on the other hand, leads to upregulation of Distal-less, engrailed and spalt in subsets of cells around the wounding site, mimicking concentric eyespot development.ConclusionWingless and TGF-β ligands are both candidate morphogens involved in nymphalid butterfly eyespot formation. These eyespots, as well as saturniid moth eyespots with concentric circles, share two genes that are associated with the differentiation of the signaling cells in nymphalid eyespots. This commonality suggests that they may be produced via the same developmental mechanism despite their non-homologous location. By contrast, pierid butterfly spots of a single color share some of the same genes but appear to be produced by a different mechanism. Eyespots with concentric rings may have co-opted a wound healing genetic network during their evolution.

Decolorization and aromatic ring degradation kinetics of Direct Red 80 by UV oxidation in the presence of hydrogen peroxide utilizing TiO2 as a photocatalyst

Abstract Textile industry consumes considerable amounts of water during various processes such as dyeing. The existence of color and aromatic rings in the form of aromatic amines in textile wastewater is a very important problem. In this paper, photocatalytic decolorization and aromatic ring degradation of Direct Red 80 in a fixed bed photocatalytic reactor, utilizing a very simple analytical method, direct UV–vis spectrophotometric detection, has been investigated. Photocatalytic decolorization and aromatic ring degradation processes performed using a 5 l solution containing Direct Red 80. The initial concentration of Direct Red 80 was 50 mg l −1 . The radiation source was two 15 W UV-C lamps. A batch mode immersion photocatalytic reactor was utilized. The effect of variables such as pH and H 2 O 2 concentration were studied. Bench scale simulated colored textile wastewater was completely decolorized in a relatively short time after UV irradiation with a low concentration of hydrogen peroxide. The lack of any absorbance in the UV–vis spectra was indicative of the complete aromatic ring degradation. Kinetics analysis indicates that the dye photocatalytic decolorization rates can usually be approximated pseudo-first-order model. UV/TiO 2 /H 2 O 2 process proved capable of the complete degradation of the Direct Red 80.

ACQUIRED COLOR BLINDNESS IN AN ELDERLY MALE PATIENT FROM RECURRENT METASTATIC PROSTATE CANCER

ACQUIRED COLOR BLINDNESS IN AN ELDERLY MALE PATIENT FROM RECURRENT METASTATIC PROSTATE CANCER

Estimating population size in Black-tailed Godwits Limosa limosa islandica by colour-marking

Capsule Adult population size of the Icelandic race of Black-tailed Godwit was estimated at 37 500 individuals. Aims To estimate the population size of the Icelandic race of Black-tailed Godwit and infer numbers wintering in areas where both the Icelandic and nominate races overlap. Methods Adult population size was estimated using resightings of individually colour-ringed birds in spring staging flocks in Iceland. Winter distribution was assessed by comparing January counts to the population estimate, assuming 0.5 chicks per breeding pair to estimate the number of first-year birds and the resulting winter population size. Results The adult population size of the Icelandic race of Black-tailed Godwit was estimated at about 37 500 individuals (range 35 565–41 999) between 1999 and 2002. This gives an estimated winter population of about 47 000 individuals. From counts in wintering areas and the calculated population estimate, we estimate that about 15 000 Icelandic Black-tailed Godwits winter in areas where the races overlap (mostly in Portugal, Spain and Morocco) but the numbers in each country remain unknown. Conclusion For species which can be fitted with conspicuous colour rings and for which a high proportion of individuals can be observed at particular times of year, mark–recapture methods can be very useful techniques to estimate the number of individuals of different races of birds wintering in the same areas.

Natural variation in the sexually selected feather ornaments of crested auklets (Aethia cristatella) does not predict future survival

We evaluated whether sexually selected crest and auricular plume feather ornaments of crested auklet (Aethia cristatella) adults covaried with individual local survival over 11 years (1991--2001). Crested auklets (n e 364 total) were captured near breeding sites, marked with color rings, and local survival estimates were based on color ring resightings at a breeding colony. Survival estimates and relationships among local survival and crest length, auricular plume length, mass and tarsus were evaluated using the program MARK. The best models included four groups, defined by sex and ease of resighting, that differed in resighting rate (p) but not local survival rate (Φ). This model structure effectively explained sources of variation in local survival and resightability among individuals. The best fitting model showed local survival rate varying annually, while accounting for differences in resightability of marked individuals between the sexes and groups (Φ[t], p[sex*ease of resighting]). Annual local survival varied from 0.940 ± 0.029 (SE) in 1993--1994 to 0.767 ± 0.034 in 1997--1998 and averaged 0.859 ± 0.019. We found no evidence that crested auklet local survival covaried with continuous variation in individuals' ornaments. Simulations indicated that our data set was sufficient to detect a relationship between local survival and a covariate that equaled or exceeded a range of 8%. The implications for competing sexual selection mechanisms of empirically measured survival--ornament relationships are controversial, but our study emphasizes that survival estimates for such investigations must control for confounding factors such as resighting rate as well as have sufficient statistical power and time scale to be biologically meaningful. Our results are most consistent with the idea that the conspicuous variation in crested auklet's showy ornaments is arbitrary with respect to individual viability as quantified by their long-term survival. Copyright 2004.

The removal of colour rings by Greenfinches Carduelis chloris

This paper examines the effect of sex and ring colour on the frequency of removal of plastic colour rings by Greenfinches Carduelis chloris. Of 55 recaptures of 42 individuals, 22 (40%) had lost at leastone of its colour rings. Females showed a tendency to remove colour rings more frequently than males. For both sexes, there was a similar tendency to remove more dark than light‐coloured rings. While it is not possible to identify a specific reason why the birds remove their colour rings, it is possible that discomfort on the nest may play a role in ring removal by females and, more speculatively, it is possible that males might remove colour rings to manipulate their sexual attractiveness to females. Wrap‐around rings might provide a solution to the problem of colour‐ringing species with powerful beaks.

Birefringence phenomena in a random distributed microstructure fiber

A random distributed microstructure fiber in which strong asymmetry was introduced around a puresilica core was reported. Femtosecond laser pulses with duration of 35?fs from a Ti:sapphire laser oscillator were coupled into this fiber, and then periodic color rings were observed from the side of the fiber when the supercontinuum light propagated along the fiber. We attributed this phenomenon to the polarization beating of the supercontinuum light in this highly birefringent microstructure fiber. Measurement showed that the fiber had a beat length of approximately 1?mm at a central wavelength of 600?nm, which is in good agreement with the result of calculation. A new method is proposed to measure the beat length directly in a highly birefringent microstructure fiber.

Defect detection in textured surfaces using color ring-projection correlation

In this paper, we present a correlation scheme that incorporates a color ring-projection representation for the automatic inspection of defects in textured surfaces. The proposed color ring projection transforms a 2-D color image into a 1-D color pattern as a function of radius. For a search window of width W, data dimensionality is reduced from O(W2) in the 2-D image to O(W) in the 1-D ring-projection space. The complexity of computing a correlation function is significantly reduced accordingly. Since the color ring-projection representation is invariant to rotation, the proposed method can be applied for both isotropic and oriented textures at arbitrary orientations. Experiments on regular textured surfaces have shown the efficacy of the proposed method.