Fidelity Ratings Research Articles

Little Brown Bats Utilize Multiple Maternity Roosts Within Foraging Areas: Implications for Identifying Summer Habitat

Abstract Identifying habitat features that may influence the survival and fitness of threatened species is often constrained by a lack of information about the appropriate scale for habitat conservation efforts. Canada's Species at Risk Act lists little brown bats Myotis lucifugus as Endangered and there is a need to determine the scale for delineating important summer habitat features that should be protected. We used a 19-y dataset of banded little brown bats in a 15,000-km2 area of southern Yukon, Canada, to examine fidelity to roost sites and potential foraging areas. We captured and banded 4,349 bats during 208 live-trapping sessions at maternity roosts. Adult females used multiple roosts during the maternity period, separated by up to 6.1 km, within foraging areas, to which individuals exhibited fidelity. Our fidelity rates (≤ 60.5%) are the lowest, and roost-switching rates (≤ 35.5%) the greatest, reported for little brown bats. A small percentage (14.0–20.7%) of females banded as juveniles returned to their natal roosts or foraging areas as adults. We infrequently observed long-distance (25–200 km) switching to novel foraging areas (< 1% of banded bats). We established bat houses to mitigate the loss of a cabin roost; 46.3% of the bats banded at the cabin occupied these houses. The longest documented period of roost fidelity was 18 y, by a female banded as an adult. Roost fidelity by returning adult females declined annually by 3.8–5.3% due to natural mortality, roost switching, or dispersal. Having a choice of multiple maternity roosts within a foraging area may permit little brown bats to select optimal microclimatic conditions throughout the maternity season. Given that fidelity to foraging areas may be higher than to specific roost sites for little brown bats, identification of summer habitat based on foraging areas may be a more effective conservation strategy than relying solely on roost sites.

A school intervention for 13- to 15-year-olds to prevent dating and relationship violence: the Project Respect pilot cluster RCT

Background ‘Dating and relationship violence’ is intimate partner violence during adolescence. Among dating adolescents in England, 66–75% of girls and 32–50% of boys report victimisation. Multicomponent school-based interventions might reduce dating and relationship violence. We optimised and piloted Project Respect, a new intervention in secondary schools in England, and study methods, to assess the value of a Phase III randomised controlled trial. Objectives To optimise Project Respect and to then conduct a pilot randomised controlled trial in southern England, addressing whether or not progression to a Phase III trial is justified in terms of prespecified criteria. To assess which of two dating and relationship violence scales is optimal, to assess response rates and to consider any necessary refinements. Design Optimisation activities aimed at intervention development and a pilot randomised controlled trial. Setting Optimisation in four secondary schools across southern England, varying by region and local deprivation. A pilot cluster randomised controlled trial in six other such schools (four intervention schools and two control schools), varying by region, attainment and local deprivation. Participants School students in years 8–10 at baseline and staff. Interventions Schools were randomised to the intervention or control arm in a 2 : 1 ratio; intervention comprised staff training, mapping ‘hotspots’ in school for dating and relationship violence, modifying staff patrols, school policy review, informing parents and carers, an application supporting student help-seeking, and a classroom curriculum for students in years 9 and 10 (including student-led campaigns). Main outcome measures Prespecified criteria for progression to Phase III of the trial, concerning acceptability, feasibility, fidelity and response rates. Primary health outcomes were assessed using the Safe Dates and short Conflicts in Adolescent Dating Relationships Inventory measures collected and analysed by individuals who were masked to allocation. Feasibility of economic analysis was assessed. Data sources Baseline and follow-up student and staff surveys, interviews, observations and logbooks. Results The intervention was optimised and approved by the Study Steering Committee. The student response rates in intervention and control groups were 1057 (84.8%) and 369 (76.6%) at baseline, and 1177 (76.8%) and 352 (83.4%) at follow-up, respectively. Safe Dates and the short Conflicts in Adolescent Dating Relationships Inventory had high levels of completion and reliability. At follow-up, prevalence of past-year dating and relationship violence victimisation was around 35% (Safe Dates scale and short Conflicts in Adolescent Dating Relationships Inventory). Staff response rates were very low. Training occurred in all four schools, with suboptimal fidelity. The curriculum was delivered with optimal fidelity in three schools. Other components were delivered inconsistently. Dating and relationship violence was addressed in control schools via violence prevention and responses, but not systematically. Intervention acceptability among students and staff was mixed. An economic evaluation would be feasible. Limitations One school did not undertake baseline surveys. Staff survey response rates were low and completion of the logbook was patchy. Conclusions Our findings suggest that progression to a Phase III trial of this intervention is not indicated because of limited fidelity and acceptability. Future work High prevalence of dating and relationship violence highlights the ongoing need for effective intervention. Potential intervention refinements would include more external support for schools and enhanced curriculum materials. Any future randomised controlled trials could consider having a longer lead-in from randomisation to intervention commencement, using the short Conflicts in Adolescent Dating Relationships Inventory as the primary outcome and not relying on staff surveys. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN65324176. Funding This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Public Health Research programme and will be published in full in Public Health Research; Vol. 8, No. 5. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

A No-Reference Quality Metric for Parameter Tuning of Edge-Aware Filters – An Anti-Image Forensic Method

Edge-Aware Filters (EAF) are less frequently detected by forensic tools compared to the median filter. However, EAFs also blur the edges, if their operational parameters are not tuned properly. Objective image quality metrics which reflect the quality of the smoothed images are necessary for tuning the operational parameters. A novel formulation of a no-reference composite metric, termed as Denoising Performance Metric (DPM) is introduced in this paper. DPM exhibited a correlation of 0.98 ± 0.02 and 0.89 ± 0.09 with the Mean Opinion Score (MOS) and Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR) between the test images and the noise-free benchmark image, respectively. The correlation observed for type-2 Vector Mean Squared Error (VMSE) with MOS and PSNR are 0.97 ± 0.02 and 0.79 ± 0.25, respectively. The proposed metric is observed to be superior to type-2 Vector Mean Squared Error (VMSE) in terms of its correlation with the subjective fidelity ratings. It can be used for tuning operational parameters of EAF to enhance their ability to tackle forensic tools.

A Feasibility Study of Behavioral Activation for Major Depressive Disorder in a Community Mental Health Setting

Behavioral activation (BA) is a well-supported treatment approach, but little research has been conducted on the effectiveness of this treatment within publicly funded community mental health settings. We examined the feasibility of conducting a randomized trial examining the effectiveness of nine sessions of BA as a treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD) in a community mental health clinic (CMHC) setting. Following adaptation of a BA manual and training of BA therapists, 80 patients seeking treatment at a CMHC were randomized, with a 3:1 randomization rate of BA to nine sessions of treatment as usual (TAU). Feasibility assessments indicated that only one eligible patient refused randomization and, of patients who attended at least one session, the median number of sessions was six for the BA group and eight for the TAU group. Of three postbaseline monthly assessments, 71.3% (171/240) were successfully obtained. On average, patients in the BA condition completed homework assignments 83.9% of the time. Treatment fidelity ratings indicated that substantially more BA techniques were delivered in the BA group compared to the TAU group (d = 2.11). Measures of BA mechanisms improved significantly over time and these changes were significantly associated with change in depressive symptoms. These results indicate that it is feasible to conduct a randomized study of BA for MDD in a CMHC setting. In addition, the study reconfirmed the potential importance of theory-relevant BA mechanism variables. Following these findings, further investigation into the effectiveness of BA in this setting is needed.

Training Clinicians to Provide Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality - Group (CAMS-G) for Veterans

Theory and research on a suicide-specific clinical framework for managing patients at high risk of suicide in a range of treatment settings forms the basis of a novel group intervention developed to care for Veterans at risk of suicide. A brief description of the structure and content of group sessions, clinician training procedures, and the approach to assessing clinician fidelity is presented. A small feasibility trial was conducted at a Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic focused on clinician fidelity to the developed treatment manual utilizing a standardized fidelity rating scale. Group facilitators achieved fidelity quickly and maintained it over the remaining group sessions that were rated. Unfortunately, the study was underpowered to examine patient outcomes, and only four clinicians served as group facilitators. The approach to training clinicians is documented and evidence that they can deliver the intervention with adherence in a real-world clinical setting is presented.

Use of genetic mark-recapture to estimate breeding site fidelity and philopatry in a threatened sea duck population, Alaska-breeding Steller’s eiders

The Steller’s eider Polysticta stelleri is a sea duck that breeds in Arctic tundra regions of Russia and Alaska (USA). The Alaska-breeding population is listed as ‘threatened’ under the US Endangered Species Act because of a perceived contraction of the breeding range in North America. Understanding demography of the listed population is critical for evaluating measures that can lead to increased abundance and thus, long-term viability. Specifically, estimates of return rates to breeding areas by adult females and natal areas by juvenile females are needed for planning effective recovery actions. We used a suite of polymorphic loci to genotype individuals and generated genetic profiles of nesting females and female offspring from nest materials collected between 1995 and 2016 in a ~170 km2 study area near Utqiagvik, Alaska. We analyzed capture histories of genetically identified individuals to estimate breeding site fidelity, temporary emigration, and philopatry. From a sample of 365 nests, we found that breeding site fidelity of adult females was high (0.91 ± 0.07 SE), and temporary emigration was also high (0.77 ± 0.06) and annually variable (range 0.34-0.97). From egg shell remains of 124 hatched females, we observed 9 recaptures as nesting adults, suggesting that philopatry was also high (range 0.6-1.0). Given the relatively high rates of adult female breeding site fidelity and female philopatry that we estimated, management actions that reduce mortality of adult females and increase annual productivity are likely to help maintain the population of a few hundred breeding Steller’s eiders on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska.

Breeding success, nest site fidelity and mate fidelity in the European Storm-petrel

The European Storm-petrel Hydrobates pelagicus is a monogamous and long-lived species with a low reproductive rate. Its nest sites are located in natural cavities under rocks or in burrows excavated by other species. Data obtained in the Molène archipelago, western France, have been analysed to study nest site fidelity and mate fidelity, and to study their relationship with breeding success and sex. Breeders were ringed and breeding success assessed from 2001–18. The influence of age and the weight of breeders on reproductive success has also been studied. Individuals were very faithful to their nest sites (94%) and to their mates (95%) from one year to the next. Breeding failure in the year t was negatively correlated with nest site fidelity and with mate retention in year t+1. Nest site fidelity was not influenced by the sex of breeding birds. Change of nest site or mate had no significant impact on the breeding success in the same year. There was a positive effect of the weight of incubating adults on reproductive success. High rates of nest site fidelity and mate fidelity may indicate good population status, with breeding habitat and mates of good quality.

Characterization of the Rate, Predictors, and Thrombotic Complications of Thrombocytosis in Iron Deficiency Anemia

Introduction: Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is the most common cause of anemia worldwide and is frequently untreated or undertreated (Kesselbaum et al. 2014). The association of thrombocytosis with IDA is well-recognized, with recent work elucidating its underlying physiology (Xavier-Ferrucio et al. 2018). Thrombocytosis in IDA may predispose to thrombotic complications, as described in many case reports. Given that IDA is ubiquitous, even minor increases in thrombotic risk due to thrombocytosis have dramatic public health implications. Data describing the rate, predictors, and risk of thrombotic complications are limited. This study characterizes these features of thrombocytosis in IDA. Methods: We queried a large institutional patient data repository containing comprehensive chart data for over 5.8 million patients to identify patients with IDA with and without thrombocytosis and thrombotic events over a 40-year time period (1979 to 2019). Demographic information, hematological parameters, thrombosis history, and other medical history were collected at time of peak thrombocytosis, time of IDA diagnosis, and clinical baseline (before IDA diagnosis or after resolution). The fidelity of query data was assessed by performing detailed manual chart review of 700 total patients. Clinical diagnoses of IDA were verified by confirming ferritin values <30 ng/ml and consistent CBC parameters. Temporal association of thrombocytosis with IDA was confirmed and patients with other causes of thrombocytosis (including active malignancy, infection, inflammatory bowel disease, recent surgery/trauma, inflammatory arthritis, and myeloproliferative neoplasms) were excluded. Only arterial and venous thrombotic events occurring concurrently with IDA or IDA with thrombocytosis were included. Data were analyzed using t-tests, chi-square tests, Pearson correlations, and multivariate regression. Results: Our queries identified 36,327 IDA cases and 15,022 IDA with thrombocytosis cases. Query fidelity rates were 95% and 75%, respectively, yielding a true thrombocytosis rate of 32.6% in patients with IDA. After excluding cases with other causes of thrombocytosis, we calculated a 7.8% rate of thrombosis in patients with IDA and a 15.8% rate of thrombosis in patients with reactive thrombocytosis secondary to IDA (Table 1, Figure). The odds ratio for thrombosis in IDA with thrombocytosis vs IDA alone was 2.23 (2.09-2.38, p<0.0001). Both venous and arterial thrombotic events were more likely in patients with IDA and thrombocytosis (Table 1). Risk factors for thrombotic events were slightly more common in patients with IDA and thrombosis (OR 1.28, Table 1). Mean duration of IDA episode (from IDA diagnosis to normalization of hemoglobin and platelet count) was 2.03 years. Among patients with IDA and thrombocytosis, ferritin and hemoglobin (Hgb) were both moderately negatively correlated with platelet count (Plt) (Table 2). Platelet mass index (Plt x MPV) at time of IDA diagnosis and peak thrombocytosis was significantly higher than baseline. Platelet mass index and Hgb were strongly negatively correlated at peak thrombocytosis. Multivariate regression including age, sex, WBC count, Hgb, Plt, and MCV demonstrated a significant predictive relation between decreasing Hgb and increasing Plt at peak thrombocytosis. Conclusions: In this large retrospective analysis, we describe the rate and predictors of thrombocytosis in IDA in addition to rates of thrombosis in IDA patients with and without reactive thrombocytosis. Combining queries of a massive clinical database with manual chart review to ensure data validity, we found a 32.6% rate of thrombocytosis in IDA, negative correlations between both Hgb/ferritin and Plt, and a 2-fold increased thrombotic risk in patients with thrombocytosis reactive to IDA relative to IDA alone. We also found increased total body platelet mass in IDA patients with thrombocytosis, which may contribute to this increased thrombotic risk. Thrombosis rates overall were high, possibly due to database inclusion of more morbid inpatients in addition to outpatients. Given the global burden of untreated and undertreated IDA, our findings suggest that adequate IDA treatment may reduce thrombotic complications and associated morbidity and mortality. Acknowledgements: A. Song is the recipient of the American Society of Hematology HONORS Award (provides research support). Disclosures Kuter: Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy, Honoraria; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Merck Sharp Dohme: Consultancy, Honoraria; Up-to-Date: Consultancy, Honoraria, Patents & Royalties: 3 Up-to-Date chapters; Caremark: Consultancy, Honoraria; Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS): Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Platelet Disorder Support Association: Consultancy, Honoraria; Alnylam: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Zafgen: Consultancy, Honoraria; UCB: Consultancy, Honoraria; Genzyme: Consultancy, Honoraria; Kezar: Research Funding; Principia: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Shire: Consultancy, Honoraria; Takeda (Bioverativ): Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Kyowa-Kirin: Consultancy, Honoraria; Momenta: Consultancy, Honoraria; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria; Argenx: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Agios: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Actelion (Syntimmune): Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Dova: Consultancy, Honoraria; Protalix: Consultancy, Honoraria; Sanofi: Consultancy, Honoraria; Protalex: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Shinogi: Consultancy, Honoraria; Rigel: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Al-Samkari:Agios: Consultancy, Research Funding; Dova: Consultancy, Research Funding; Moderna: Consultancy.

Scalability of parametric down-conversion for generating higher-order Fock states

Spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) is the most widely-used method to generate higher-order Fock states ($n\geq 2$). Yet, a consistent performance analysis from fundamental principles is missing. Here we address this problem by introducing a framework for state fidelity and generation probability under the consideration of losses and multimode emission. With this analysis we show the fundamental limitations of this process as well as a trade-off between state fidelity and generation rate intrinsic to the probabilistic nature of the process. This identifies the parameter space for which SPDC is useful when generating higher-order Fock states for quantum applications. We experimentally investigate the strong pump regime of SPDC and demonstrate heralded Fock states up to $\lvert n\rangle =4$.

Migratory return rates and breeding fidelity in Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis)

ABSTRACT Low mate fidelity and return rates are common in many migratory bird species. These low rates are likely due to high mortality during migration, making it impossible for between-year mate ...

Feasibility and Preliminary Efficacy of an Adapted Transdiagnostic Treatment for Children With Executive Function Deficits.

Few psychological interventions exist to target executive function difficulties in children and adolescents. The current study modified the Unstuck and On Target! intervention protocol for use in an outpatient clinic setting with a diagnostically diverse group of participants. Participants engaged in a 10-week child and parent group treatment with assessment measurement at pre- and post-treatment. Assessments consisted of parent-report questionnaires, clinician-administered tasks, and treatment fidelity ratings. Results suggest that the modified intervention was delivered with high fidelity and is feasible and acceptable in a transdiagnostic sample. Although preliminary, efficacy appears promising and suggests that parent-rated executive function, as well as behavioral and emotional challenges, are amenable to change as a result of intervention participation. The results imply that the modified intervention has merit, and should be further explored within the context of larger studies.

Blinded by magic: Electrophysiological correlates of change blindness

Magicians can often hide their method for a trick in plain sight by effecting a phenomenon known as change blindness. The purpose of this study was to find the reason for why an individual is induced with change blindness. Alpha oscillations are known to impair detection of visual stimuli, but it is unclear if this is due to increased guess rate or decreased fidelity of the mental representation. Here we estimated fidelity and guess rate as a function of pre-stimulus alpha oscillations using a change blindness task. In this study, each trial began with an array of 6 Gabor patches with a fixated dot that subjects were instructed to keep their eyes on. As the array traveled to the center of the screen, it either changed direction vertically at 90 degrees or continued horizontally. When the array switched direction, one of the Gabor patches rotated 30 degrees simultaneously. Subjects were then asked to identify which patch rotated. EEG (electroencephalography) data was simultaneously recorded with eye-tracking as subjects performed the task. Twenty-eight participants performed this task, which included six blocks of forty-eight trials. There were two different types of trials: flexion, in which the array changed direction, and control, in which the array did not change direction. Reaction time tended to be slower in flexion trials, and we found that the change in direction affected the subject’s ability to see the Gabor patch rotation. Based on the event-related potential results, which are an average of EEG signals aligned to the start of a trial, we could see that the P300 differed between correct flexion, incorrect flexion, and control trials. The P300 can be interpreted as a marker of consciousness. This difference demonstrates that the subject’s attention is automatically drawn to a larger change in stimuli.

Skill Training for Parents with ASD Children in China

Background: Parental involvement is key to both short-term and long-term prognosis of autistic children. However, currently in China, parents have limited access to professional knowledge and training of early intervention. Methods: We designed an eight-session parental training course (skill training for parents with ASD Children, STPAC) with the aim to help parents with young ASD children to master the basic intervention skills. The theory and strategies are derived from Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) and WHO Caregiver Skills Training (CST) program. The course was composed of eight sessions. There was one session each week which lasted three hours. Furthermore, there were three sections for each session: (I) delivery of theoretical intervention knowledge by one trainer; (II) video-based analysis and rating of parent-child interaction interventions by one trainer; (III) trainer demonstration of the key skill and parent practice of the skill. To assess parents’ knowledge about the autism intervention, we designed a questionnaire called Knowledge of Autism Intervention Questionnaire (KAIQ). Besides the questionnaire, we designed a Parent Skill Rating Form (PSRF) as well, which was based on the ESDM and CST Fidelity Rating System, to evaluate the parent mastery of intervention skills and the quality of parent-child interaction interventions. At the beginning of the study, parents were asked to fill in the KAIQ and were evaluated for the fidelity score on PSRF by the trainer with the onset of enrollment, and at the end of the training, the KAIQ and PSRF scores were assessed again. Paired t tests were applied to compare the outcomes with baseline scores. Results: A total of 55 families (seven groups) with ASD children were recruited. After eight weeks of training, the average correct answer rate of parent’s KAIQ was increased from 54.5% to 81.8% (P value Conclusions: This skill training course is helpful for parents with young ASD children. Next steps involve setting up a pilot randomized controlled trial to test the effects on parent skills in a more rigorous manner and to examine effects on children whose parents are receiving the training.

Review of the 10th Non-LTE code comparison workshop

We report on the results of the 10th Non-LTE code comparison workshop, which was held at the University of San Diego campus November 28 through December 1, 2017. Non-equilibrium collisional-radiative models predict the electronic state populations and attendant emission and absorption characteristics of hot, dense matter and are used to help design and diagnose high-energy-density experiments. At this workshop, fifteen codes from eleven institutions contributed results for steady-state and time-dependent neon, aluminum, silicon, and chlorine cases relevant to a variety of high-density experimental and radiation-driven astrophysical systems. This report focuses on differences in the predictions from codes with different internal structure, completeness, density effects, and rate fidelity and the impact of those differences on hot, dense plasma diagnostics.

An Examination of Interventionist Implementation Fidelity and Content Knowledge as Predictors of Math Intervention Effectiveness

Data from a large-scale math intervention program were used to evaluate the degree to which implementation fidelity (IF) and interventionist content knowledge were associated with student outcomes. Data were available for 33 interventionists serving 658 students in Grades 4–6 across one school year. A series of multilevel models were fit to the data to evaluate the impact of procedural IF and interventionists’ math content knowledge on students’ postintervention achievement, controlling for preintervention achievement and intervention dosage. Higher student posttest scores were observed for interventionists with an average fidelity rating of 95% or greater (β = .15); however, no effects on students’ math achievement scores were observed for interventionist content knowledge. Adding IF and a measure of interventionist content knowledge to the model explained a statistically significant amount of variance in growth estimates attributable to interventionists (15%). Results highlight the potential importance of ongoing evaluation and remediation of IF in the context of standardized supplemental intervention in math, while also providing some evidence that higher levels of content knowledge may not translate into greater impact in a standard-protocol intervention setting. Results suggest a need for more research examining characteristics of interventionists and aspects of implementation that may account for variance in student outcomes.

Core Elements of Family Therapy for Adolescent Behavior Problems: Empirical Distillation of Three Manualized Treatments

Family therapy has the strongest evidence base for treating adolescent conduct and substance use problems, yet there remain substantial barriers to widespread delivery of this approach in community settings. This study aimed to promote the feasibility of implementing family-based interventions in usual care by empirically distilling the core practice elements of three manualized treatments. The study sampled 302 high-fidelity treatment sessions from 196 cases enrolled in 1 of 3 manualized family therapy models: multidimensional family therapy (102 sessions/56 cases), brief strategic family therapy (100 sessions/94 cases), or functional family therapy (100 sessions/46 cases). Adolescents were 57% male; 41% were African American, 31% White non-Hispanic, 9% Hispanic American, 6% another race/ethnicity, and 13% unknown. The observational fidelity measures of all three models were used to code all 302 sessions. Fidelity ratings were analyzed to derive model-shared treatment techniques via exploratory factor analyses on half the sample; the derived factors were then validated via confirmatory factor analyses supplemented by Bayesian structural equation modeling on the remaining half. Factor analyses distilled 4 clinically coherent practice elements with strong internal consistency: Interactional Change (6 treatment techniques; Cronbach’s α = .93), Relational Reframe (7 techniques; α = .79), Adolescent Engagement (4 techniques; α = .68), and Relational Emphasis (4 techniques; α = .67). The 4 empirically derived factors represent the core elements of 3 manualized family therapy models for adolescent behavior problems, setting the foundation of a more sustainable option for delivering evidence-based family interventions in routine practice settings.Public Health Significance: Increasing implementation of high-fidelity family-based interventions would improve the quality of treatment services for adolescent conduct and substance use problems.

Effectiveness and Efficiency of Observationally Assessing Fidelity to a Family-Centered Child Intervention: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Assessment of fidelity that is effective, efficient, and differentiates from usual practices is critical for effectively implementing evidence-based programs for families. This quasi-experiemntal study sought to determine whether observational ratings of fidelity to the Family Check-Up (FCU) could differentiate between levels of clinician training in the model, and from services as usual, and whether rating segments of sessions could be equivalent to rating complete sessions. Coders rated 75 videotaped sessions—complete and 20-min segments—for fidelity, using a valid and reliable rating system across three groups: (a) highly trained in FCU with universal, routine monitoring; (b) minimally trained in FCU with optional, variable monitoring; and (c) services as usual with no training in the FCU. We hypothesized that certain dimensions of fidelity would differ by training, whereas others would not. The results indicated that, as expected, one dimension of fidelity to the FCU, Conceptually accurate to the FCU, was reliably different between the groups (χ2 = 44.63, p < .001). The differences observed were in the expected direction, showing higher scores for therapists with more training. The rating magnitude of session segments largely did not differ from those of complete session ratings; however, interrater reliabilities were low for the segments. Although observational ratings were shown to be sensitive to the degree of training in the FCU on a unique and theoretically critical dimension, observational coding of complete sessions is resource intensive and limits scalability. Additional work is needed to reduce the burden of assessing fidelity to family-centered programs.

Social interactions, roost usage and notes on the breeding system of the chocolate wattled bat (Chalinolobus morio) in south-east Queensland, Australia

Little is known about the social behaviour of roosting insectivorous bats in Australia. Interactions between individuals and movements between multiple roosts at a building maternity site of the chocolate wattled bat (Chalinolobus morio) were examined using video observation and Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tagging, respectively. Bats of both sexes were seen to allogroom, which involved pairs of individuals simultaneously grooming each other around the face. This is the first occurrence of allogrooming reported between male vespertilionids, globally. In total, 366 bats were PIT tagged and analysis of movements revealed that bats exhibited a fission–fusion pattern of roost usage with sufficient switching among nearby roosts, such that all individuals were potentially able to associate and interact over a period of 150–200 days. Rates of roost fidelity varied markedly from 1 to 7.2 days of continuous occupancy of roosts, with females exhibiting slightly higher overall levels of fidelity over the nine-month monitoring period. The information gained from this study, when combined with results from other research, provides a sufficient basis for the description of the apparent breeding system for this species, where both males and females at the summer maternity roost are natally philopatric and mating takes place over winter in an expanded gene pool, comprising individuals that have dispersed from multiple summer maternity roosts.

Effects of urbanization on the foraging ecology and microbiota of the generalist seabird Larus argentatus.

Larus gull species have proven adaptable to urbanization and due to their generalist feeding behaviors, they provide useful opportunities to study how urban environments impact foraging behavior and host-associated microbiota. We evaluated how urbanization influenced the foraging behavior and microbiome characteristics of breeding herring gulls (Larus argentatus) at three different colonies on the east coast of the United States. Study colonies represented high, medium and low degrees of urbanization, respectively. At all colonies, gulls frequently foraged at landfills and in other urban environments, but both the use of urban environments and gull foraging metrics differed with the degree of urbanization. Gulls at the more urban colonies used urban environments more frequently, showed higher rates of site fidelity and took shorter trips. Gulls at less urban colonies used a greater diversity of habitat types and foraged offshore. We observed high microbial diversity at all colonies, though microbial diversity was highest at the least urban colony where gulls used a wider variety of foraging habitats. This suggests that gulls may acquire a wider range of bacteria when visiting a higher variety of foraging sites. Our findings highlight the influence of urban habitats on gull movements and microbiome composition and diversity during the breeding season and represent the first application of amplicon sequence variants, an objective and repeatable method of bacterial classification, to study the microbiota of a seabird species.

Site Fidelity in Lineages of Mixed–Species Heron Colonies

As heron and egret colonies are sometimes abandoned due to human activity and subsequently newly established at nearby locations, colony locations per se cannot represent colony fates. Here, “colony lineages” were traced by connecting short-distance location shifts between colony sites in consecutive years to quantify the site fidelity of heron colonies themselves rather than the breeding-site fidelity of individuals. Site fidelity of 61 colony lineages recorded from 1963 to 2013 in and around Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, was evaluated by persistence periods with survival analysis and shapes of historical trajectories by applying the correlated random walk analysis. While 36% (n = 22) of colony lineages did not show site fidelity and lasted only 1 year or indicated untangled shapes of historical trajectories, 64% (n = 39) of colony lineages exhibited site fidelity by reusing the same locations for multiple years or by staying within a small area with entangled shapes of historical trajectories. Even though suitable breeding sites were abundant in the study area and site fidelity of colony members was low, a high rate of site fidelity in colony lineages may be achieved when a few faithful pioneer herons and egrets are followed by many others.