Urban Colony Research Articles

Light-averse behaviour of attic-dwelling bats when commuting through urban areas

Light pollution is spreading around the world, causing a variety of problems, particularly for nocturnal animals such as bats. As urban areas expand, attic-dwelling bats face the problem of being exposed to more and more artificial light as they move to their dark foraging areas. Avoiding street lights could force bats to make energetically costly detours, which could eventually lead to the collapse of urban colonies. We therefore investigated the response of attic-dwelling bats to street lighting, using the brown long-eared bat (Plecotus auritus) as an example. Using radio-tracking, we followed 17 bats during their commutes through two urban areas: a small town and a village in rural Germany. After a conservative filtering process to ensure a high spatial accuracy of the tracking data, we analysed the data of nine bats in detail, using a use-versus-availability approach for the small town and a descriptive approach for the smaller dataset obtained from the village. The best-fitting model confirmed that the bats responded to artificial light at night. Close to the roost (∼10 m), bats preferred areas with low light intensities, but seemed to tolerate some light levels. We speculate that this pattern was caused by bats being forced to leave the roost into an illuminated area. At medium distances from roosts (∼400 m), most bats avoided street lights. In fact, all bats avoided being in close proximity to street lights, even when the lanterns produced only low levels of light. We conclude that brown long-eared bats avoid street lights when moving through urban areas. We recommend the establishment of dark corridors in urban areas to support high bat diversity, including all species along the continuum of light-opportunistic and light-sensitive species.

Vocal Repertoire of Chimango Caracaras in Rural and Urban Habitats

ABSTRACT Acoustic communication, such as bird song, is vital in animal ecology, facilitating reproduction, feeding, defense, and more. Variation in bird song may result from adaptation to environmental features such as anthropogenic noise. The vocal repertoire of raptors is essentially unstudied, particularly in urban environments. The aim of this work was to describe and quantify the acoustic repertoire of Chimango Caracaras (Milvago chimango) in rural and urban areas in La Pampa Province, Argentina. I recorded 26 1-min sound samples at each of four breeding colonies (one rural and three urban) during the austral reproductive season of 2021–2022. I recorded 241 vocalizations corresponding to nine clearly distinct call types. Two types of calls made up 50.6% and 19.5% of the vocalizations and seven others made up <10.0% each. Three call types had trills (fast repetitive notes). Average percentage of call types differed significantly between the two habitats (P < 0.01), with more trills produced in rural habitats. Average calling rate was 6.6 ± 5.1 calls/min at rural colonies and 10.7 ± 10.7 at urban colonies. The number of different call types produced was 2.1 ± 1.6 types/min at rural colonies and 2.7 ± 1.8 at urban colonies. The greater calling rate of Chimango Caracaras in urban areas may represent an attempt to improve signal effectiveness among the anthropogenic acoustic clutter.

Common mental disorders among adolescents in an urban area of Delhi.

Common mental disorders (CMDs) among adolescents may hamper their psycho-social development. This study evaluated the prevalence and determinants of CMD like depression and anxiety among late adolescents of an age of 15--19 years residing in an urban resettlement colony of southeast Delhi. A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out among 556 randomly selected adolescents. CMD was assessed using Mini International Neuropsychiatry Interview - Kid version 6 (MINI-Kid) based on DSM-IV TR and compliant with ICD-10 definitions of CMD. The associated risk factors were studied using a self-developed semi-structured interview schedule and analyzed using multi-variable logistic regression. A total of 491 adolescents were interviewed (a response rate of 88.3%), of whom 247 (50.3%) were female and 210 (42.8%) belonged to a lower-middle socio-economic status. The lifetime prevalence of CMD was 34% [95% confidence interval (CI): 29.8-38.2]. Of the total, 22.4% (95% CI: 18.7-6.1) of the participants reported depression and 6.7% (95% CI: 4.5-8.9) reported generalized anxiety disorder during their lifetime. Female sex [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.1, 95% CI: 1.4-2.2], experiencing a stressful event in the past 6 months (aOR 4.7, 95% CI: 3.1-7.3), and smoking tobacco (aOR 2.0, 95% CI: 1.2-7.4) significantly increased the odds of having CMD in multi-variate analysis. There is a high prevalence of CMD among adolescents residing in urban resettlement colonies of Delhi, which is composed mostly of people belonging to lower socio-economic strata. Hence, tailored intervention at stress management with promotion of healthy lifestyle is needed for this age group.

Roots to roofs: Farmers' perceived socio-ecological impacts of converting mango orchards to urban areas in Multan, Pakistan

The process of urban growth often results in the conversion of agricultural spaces, including orchards. In Pakistan, Multan - widely known as the city of Mangoes - has seen exponential urban growth in the past couple of decades, resulting in a huge loss of Mango orchards to urban settlements. This research focuses on investigating local farmers’ motivations for selling Mango orchards to urban colonies and their perceived implications of transforming mango orchards into residential areas in Multan, Pakistan. By surveying 100 participants, the study captures insights into urban expansion trends, primary motivations behind selling agricultural land, and the social, economic and environmental consequences of such conversions. Descriptive statistics and correlation analysis (heatmap) are used to dissect the farmers perceptions on the drivers and implications of Mango orchards' conversion to housing settlements in Multan, Pakistan. Notably, 96% of respondents highlighted that orchards nearer to urban centers were predominantly targeted for conversion. Furthermore, 57% believed less productive orchards were more frequently turned into urban developments. Our correlation analysis provided clarity on the economic dimensions. Participants who felt their orchard was not a profitable venture tended to see greater economic advantages from selling their orchards. Interestingly, individuals motivated by a desire to 'improve quality of life' generally observed an improvement in their living conditions post-sale. On the environmental spectrum, concerns such as potential future temperature rises were consistently associated with several selling motivations, indicating a broad awareness of environmental consequences. This comprehensive research highlight the interplay of economic, social, and environmental factors in orchard-to-housing conversions, presenting valuable knowledge for urban development strategists and decision-makers.

Metabolic syndrome burden, determinants and treatment status in an urban slum resettlement colony in Delhi, India.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) in low-resource settings contributes to accentuated risk of cardiovascular disease, including stroke. The study objective was to estimate the prevalence, determinants and treatment status of MetS in an urban slum resettlement population in Delhi, India. This study was conducted from February to May 2023. Multiphase sampling was conducted with 1910 individuals screened for abdominal obesity (AO), with 996 detected as having AO, of which, 400 were selected by simple random sampling and further evaluated for triglycerides (TGs), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and fasting glucose levels. Among the 400 participants detected as having AO, 211 had evidence of MetS (52.75% [95% confidence interval 47.83 to 57.62]). The most prevalent combination of MetS clustering was for all five components (AO, diabetes mellitus [DM], hypertension [HTN], low HDL and high TGs; 14.69%), followed by AO, DM and HTN (12.32%). On adjusted analysis, the odds of having MetS was found to be independently associated with increasing age (≥40y) but not sex. A high burden of MetS and suboptimal treatment status is prevalent in urban slum populations. Screening of individuals with AO, especially in those >40y of age, can be an effective programmatic strategy for early diagnosis and management of MetS and its underlying components.

Assessment of the risk of developing type 2 diabetes using the Indian diabetes risk score in an urban community in Chandigarh, India: A cross-sectional study.

The urban poor is a group that is known to be vulnerable to the adoption of a more urbanized lifestyle that places them at a higher risk for diabetes. Identification of at-risk individuals using simple screening tools like the Indian diabetes risk score developed by Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF-IDRS) and appropriate lifestyle interventions could greatly help in preventing or postponing the onset of diabetes and thus reducing the burden of the disease on the community and the nation as a whole. A cross-sectional study was conducted on individuals ≥30 years (n = 1533) of both genders in an urban colony of Chandigarh during a period of 1 year. A stratified two-stage systematic random sampling was adopted. The risk of developing Type 2 diabetes mellitus was assessed using IDRS. The total risk score of each participant was analyzed and compared. Biochemical investigations, including blood glucose and lipid profiles for detecting diabetes, were conducted. Data were presented in percentages and proportions. The statistical analysis of the data was performed by using the Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis. The prevalence of diabetes was 3.1% in the present study. Overall, the mean IDRS was found to be 52.14 ± 16.01. Elderly persons aged 60 years and above had higher IDRS. IDRS showed significant variability with age (P < 0.001). Females had significantly higher IDRS as compared to males (P = 0.002). The association between socioeconomic class and risk status was highly significant statistically (P < 0.001). IDRS among individuals with diabetes was found to be significantly higher (64.29 ± 13.92) as compared to non-diabetics. Among all, 749 (48.7%) had high IDRS, whereas 54 (3.5%) had low IDRS. There were 734 (47.8%) with moderate IDRS. IDRS was found to be highly sensitive for detecting the risk of diabetes, suggesting its potential use as a screening tool in community setup for the purpose of detecting diabetes.

Hypertension care cascade in an urban resettlement colony and slum in Delhi, India: a cross-sectional survey

BackgroundHypertension care cascade in resource-limited settings is compromised with a majority of patients with hypertension remaining undiagnosed, untreated, non-adherent, and poorly controlled at every stage. However, there is paucity of information on care and management of hypertensive patients in community-based settings of low-income urban neighbourhoods in India.MethodsThis was a community-based cross-sectional study conducted in an urban resettlement colony and slum area in the Northeast District of Delhi. The adult population was screened for hypertension using standardized methods, and adherence to medications was assessed using the Morisky Green Levine scale. Binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to ascertain the sociodemographic predictors of the outcome (presence of hypertension, adherence to antihypertensive medication, blood pressure control). A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsWe included 8850 adult participants including 5295 females and 3555 males in this study. Nearly 29% of the participants were hypertensive, of which 61.77% were newly diagnosed cases. Furthermore, nearly 81% of the previously diagnosed cases had been initiated on antihypertensive medication, of which 57.54% were adherent to their medications while 36.12% attained controlled blood pressure levels. The odds of having hypertension were significantly higher among males (AOR = 1.87, 95% CI: 1.63 to 2.15), age ≥ 60 years (AOR = 9.15, 95% CI: 7.82 to 10.70), high waist circumference (AOR = 2.24, 95% CI: 1.86 to 2.70) and Body Mass Index of ≥ 25.00 (AOR = 2.55, 95% CI: 2.00 to 3.26). Furthermore, on adjusted analysis, patients of hypertension having diabetes (DM) comorbidity had significantly higher odds of being adherent to anti-hypertensive medications (AOR = 1.81, 95% CI: 1.31 to 2.51) compared to those without DM comorbidity, while tobacco users had significantly lower odds of being adherent to antihypertensive medication (AOR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.31 to 0.82).ConclusionsHypertension care cascade in urban slum-resettlement colony setting revealed a high burden of undiagnosed hypertension, low rates of medication adherence, and poor blood pressure control. Strengthening community screening and primary care continuum of care is necessary to improve the hypertension care cascade from early diagnosis to effective management with optimal health outcomes to reduce patient complications and increase longevity.

Behavioral assays reveal mechanisms of supercolony formation in odorous house ants

The formation of expansive multi-nest and multi-queen supercolonies is perhaps the most important factor responsible for the ecological success of invasive ants. The odorous house ant, Tapinoma sessile, is a widespread ant native to North America. T. sessile is a challenging urban pest, but also serves as an interesting system to study ant social organization and invasion biology. This is due to its remarkable dichotomy in colony social and spatial structure between natural and urban environments. Natural colonies typically consist of a small number of workers, inhabit a single nest, and are monogyne whereas urban colonies show extreme polygyny and polydomy and form large supercolonies. The current study examined the extent to which T. sessile colonies from different habitats (natural vs. urban) and social structures (monogynous vs. polygynous) exhibit aggression toward alien conspecifics. Additionally, interactions between mutually aggressive colonies were examined in colony fusion experiments to assess the potential role of colony fusion as a mechanism leading to supercolony formation. Aggression assays demonstrated high levels of aggression in pairings involving workers from different urban colonies and workers from different natural colonies, but low aggression in pairings involving queens from different urban colonies. Colony merging tests demonstrated that urban T. sessile colonies are highly aggressive to each other, but capable of fusing under laboratory conditions when competing for limited nesting and food resources. Despite highly aggressive interactions and relatively high worker and queen mortality, all colony pairs merged in 3–5 days. Fusion occurred after most workers died and the survivors merged. This result suggests that the success of T. sessile in urban areas may be driven, at least in part, by successful colony mergers of unrelated colonies which may be determined by ecological constraints such as seasonal shortages in nest and/or food availability. In summary, two independent factors including the growth of a single colony and/or the merger of multiple colonies may be responsible for the evolution of supercolonies in invasive ants. Both processes may be happening simultaneously and may act synergistically to produce supercolonies.

A Perspective on Urban Beekeeping with &lt;i&gt;Apis cerana&lt;/i&gt; F. in Bengaluru, Karnataka with Special Reference to Bee Flora and Hive Suitability

Urban beekeeping is nowadays attracting immense popularity. Many people in large cities are installing hives on the rooftops. A significant drawback for beekeeping in urban areas of India is limited bee flora which may lead to poor honey yield and performance. As more people take to urban beekeeping, the competition for resources between honey bee colonies increases. Since the space covered by vegetation in the city remains relatively constant, each honey bee colony ends with less honey production per year. It slows the growth of individual urban honey bee colonies and affects the foraging potential of the honey bee colonies. Thus, urban beekeeping could be made effective by providing sufficient bee forage in surrounding beekeeping areas and by the selection of hives suitable for urban areas. Therefore, the present work was undertaken to study the diversity of nectariferous and polleniferous honey bee flora found in the major cosmopolitan city of India: Bengaluru. We recorded 58 major bee floras grown in the Bengaluru urban to make beekeeping activities throughout the year. In addition, hives with different frame numbers (5, 6 and 8) were evaluated for their performance in 3 different locations. Results clearly showed that hives with six frames are equally good compared to the conventional eight frame hive. Therefore, hives with six frames are more suitable for urban beekeeping, which would be efficient by reducing energy requirements in activities like comb construction of the colony. Appropriate hive selection was an important factor for successful beekeeping, especially in urban areas of Bengaluru.

Urban colonies are less aggressive but forage more than their forest counterparts in the ant Temnothorax nylanderi

Urban colonies are less aggressive but forage more than their forest counterparts in the ant Temnothorax nylanderi

Fine-scale spatial variation shape fecal microbiome diversity and composition in black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus)

BackgroundHost associated gut microbiota are important in understanding the coevolution of host-microbe, and how they may help wildlife populations to adapt to rapid environmental changes. Mammalian gut microbiota composition and diversity may be affected by a variety of factors including geographic variation, seasonal variation in diet, habitat disturbance, environmental conditions, age, and sex. However, there have been few studies that examined how ecological and environmental factors influence gut microbiota composition in animals' natural environments. In this study, we explore how host habitat, geographical location and environmental factors affect the fecal microbiota of Cynomys ludovicianus at a small spatial scale. We collected fecal samples from five geographically distinct locations in the Texas Panhandle classified as urban and rural areas and analyzed them using high throughput 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing.ResultsThe results showed that microbiota of these fecal samples was largely dominated by the phylum Bacteroidetes. Fecal microbiome diversity and composition differed significantly across sampling sites and habitats. Prairie dogs inhabiting urban areas showed reduced fecal diversity due to more homogenous environment and, likely, anthropogenic disturbance. Urban prairie dog colonies displayed greater phylogenetic variation among replicates than those in rural habitats. Differentially abundant analysis revealed that bacterial species pathogenic to humans and animals were highly abundant in urban areas which indicates that host health and fitness might be negatively affected. Random forest models identified Alistipes shahii as the important species driving the changes in fecal microbiome composition. Despite the effects of habitat and geographic location of host, we found a strong correlation with environmental factors and that- average maximum temperature was the best predictor of prairie dog fecal microbial diversity.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that reduction in alpha diversity in conjunction with greater dispersion in beta diversity could be indicative of declining host health in urban areas; this information may, in turn, help determine future conservation efforts. Moreover, several bacterial species pathogenic to humans and other animals were enriched in prairie dog colonies near urban areas, which may in turn adversely affect host phenotype and fitness.

From saving to survivance: Rethinking Indigenous Papuan women's vulnerabilities in Jayapura, Indonesia

Racism, sexism and gendered violence disadvantage Indigenous Papuan women, yet government responses often focus on individual interventions like ‘raising awareness’ or training. In this article, we build on efforts to challenge these narratives about women's vulnerabilities. We draw on life history interviews with older Papuan women in Jayapura to rethink vulnerabilities and everyday struggles in the context of structural inequalities. We interpret their stories as forms of ‘survivance’ and argue that contrary to dominant perspectives, Papuan women are not economic novices or passive victims. Rather, opportunities have narrowed over time, and women's long history of activity, strategy, persistence and resistance has largely been forgotten. Women's life histories shed light on urban colonialism and Indigenous survivance in Jayapura since the 1940s, when Jayapura was still a Dutch colonial capital and not yet an Indonesian frontier. In a time dominated by concerns about Papuan demise, their experiences are provocative for rethinking vulnerabilities.

A first insight into the post-breeding dispersal strategies of adult Lesser Kestrels Falco naumanni in Italy

ABSTRACT Capsule After breeding, Lesser Kestrels Falco naumanni do not migrate directly to Africa but exhibit a post-breeding dispersal that lasts several weeks. Tracking of four adult individuals provides the first data on distances and direction of travel, and suggests sex differences in post-breeding dispersal. Aims We aimed to: (a) detect the dispersal routes and stopover sites used by adult Lesser Kestrels during the post-breeding period in Italy, (b) deduce the strategies behind the observed dispersal behaviour, and (c) advance hypotheses about the determinants of such strategies. Methods Using Argos satellite telemetry, we tracked four individuals at neighbouring urban colonies at Gravina and Altamura (Apulia region), within the geographical area (Alta Murgia) which has the world’s highest known density of urban nesting Lesser Kestrels. Results Argos devices provided 4930 high-quality locations for 72 ± 13 (mean ± SD) days for four individuals tracked during July–September. July corresponded to the post-nestling period, with recorded dispersal distances less than 66 km from the breeding site. At the beginning of August, the birds entered the pre-migration period, with recorded dispersal distances up to 667 km from the colony. We detected four dispersal strategies: absolute fidelity to the breeding site, and short-range, mid-range, and long-range dispersal. The males had long-range and mid-range dispersal routes parallel to the eastern side of the Apennine ridge, and selected several stopover sites in central and northern Italy. The females showed absolute fidelity to the breeding site and short-range dispersal. We hypothesize that males and females had different body conditions at the beginning of the pre-migration period, which forced females to remain close to the breeding site while males could disperse further. Conclusions This work sheds light, for the first time, on the post-reproductive dispersal behaviour and schedule of the Lesser Kestrel in Italy.

Overlap and Segregation among Multiple 3D Home Ranges: A Non-Pairwise Metric with Demonstrative Application to the Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni.

In this study we solved the issue of measuring the degree of overlap/segregation among an arbitrarily large number (n ≥ 2) of 3D volumetric home ranges (i.e., x, y, and hg; where hg is height above ground level) for the first time. For this purpose, we introduced the novel non-pairwise index MVOI (Multiple Volumetric Overlap Index) and its complement to 100 MVSI (Multiple Volumetric Segregation Index). Regardless of the number of 3D volumetric home ranges, the MVOI and MVSI generate a single score of overlap/segregation between 0 and 100, making ecological interpretation much easier and more meaningful when compared to n × n pairwise overlap indices. As a case study, we applied the MVOI and MVSI to 12,081 GPS points of five lesser kestrels (Falco naumanni) during the nesting period at Santeramo in Colle (Apulia region; Italy) in an area with the most elevated density of lesser kestrels in urban colonies worldwide. The 3D volumetric home ranges ranged between 1.79 km3 and 8.19 km3. We found that the tracked birds had different vertical profiles, possibly to limit intraspecific competition, resulting in a 3D home range overlap that was only 61.1% of the 2D overlap and 52.8% of the probabilistic one.

Seasonal analysis of the diet and trophic niche breadth of Molossus rufus É. Geoffroy, 1805 (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in a tropical urban environment.

This study aimed to analyze the diet and trophic niche breadth of an insectivorous bat very common in an urban environment in southern Brazil. To analyze the feeding habit of Molossus rufus, it was necessary to collect fecal samples in urban colonies in the city of Maringá, State of Paraná. Samplings occurred from November 2018 to September 2019, including rainy and dry seasons. The fragments found in the samples were identified up to the level of order or family whenever possible. Percentage of volume and frequency of occurrence, Feeding Index (IAi%), PERMANOVA, and trophic niche breadth were used. Thus, a total of 140 samples were obtained, 92 for the rainy season and 48 for the dry season. In terms of percentage of volume, the diet consisted mainly of Hymenoptera (46.9%) in the rainy season and Coleoptera (39.2%) in the dry season. The results for standardized trophic niche breadth were Ba = 0.36 for the rainy season and Ba = 0.37 in the dry season, indicating a low food diversity. In conclusion, there was a food preference on the part of M. rufus according to the season evaluated, with Hymenoptera and Coleoptera being the most relevant dietary items.

A case of global developmental delay (GDD) responding positively to homoeopathic treatment

Global developmental delay (GDD) is a delay in two or more developmental domains of gross/fine motor, speech/language, cognition, social/personal and activities of daily living. Poverty, the root cause of the existence of slums or settlement colonies in urban areas has a great impact on almost all aspects of life of the urban poor, especially the all-round development of children. It is observed 2.5% prevalence of developmental delay in the less than 2 year olds of deprived urban settlements, and the risk factors are low birth weight, birth asphyxia, coupled with poor environment of home and lack of awareness of child care services. Management of GDD involves sophisticated and expensive diagnostic and therapeutic measures which is again unaffordable by this class of patients. Here is a case report of a child 2 years 7 months old with GDD born in a urban poor colony, due to lack of awareness of child care services was deprived from treatment. Clinically the child was assessed for all the areas of developmental delay. After analyzing and individualizing the case a totality was framed on the intra uterine life events, observatory symptoms, observed by the physician and the child’s mother. Sanicula 1M covered the totality which was prescribed in infrequent doses, also silica 6x was given. The follow up assessments were done using Gross motor function measures (GMFM) and WHO recommended growth chart. The Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) scale has been one of the most chosen to quantify the evolution of patients after the intervention, because it allows evaluating children with CP from 5 months to 16 years. It is a numerical rating scale, in which a higher score implies better gross motor function. WHO growth chart (0-5) years is applied for the assessment of height, weight, head circumstances (cms) assessed in 4 subsequent follow ups, a linear catch up growth observed with homoeopathic medicine. During the period of treatment from 9th July 2018 to January 2019 the child showed marked improvement in gross motor/fine motor functions, cognition, social and daily activities. The child is still under treatment.

Differences in Trophic Level, Contaminant Load, and DNA Damage in an Urban and a Remote Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) Breeding Colony in Coastal Norway.

Herring gulls (Larus argentatus) are opportunistic feeders, resulting in contaminant exposure depending on area and habitat. We compared contaminant concentrations and dietary markers between two herring gull breeding colonies with different distances to extensive human activity and presumed contaminant exposure from the local marine diet. Furthermore, we investigated the integrity of DNA in white blood cells and sensitivity to oxidative stress. We analyzed blood from 15 herring gulls from each colony-the urban Oslofjord near the Norwegian capital Oslo in the temperate region and the remote Hornøya island in northern Norway, on the Barents Sea coast. Based on d13 C and d34 S, the dietary sources of urban gulls differed, with some individuals having a marine and others a more terrestrial dietary signal. All remote gulls had a marine dietary signal and higher relative trophic level than the urban marine feeding gulls. Concentrations (mean ± standard deviation [SD]) of most persistent organic pollutants, such as polychlorinated biphenyl ethers (PCBs) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), were higher in urban marine (PCB153 17 ± 17 ng/g wet weight, PFOS 25 ± 21 ng/g wet wt) than urban terrestrial feeders (PCB153 3.7 ± 2.4 ng/g wet wt, PFOS 6.7 ± 10 ng/g wet wt). Despite feeding at a higher trophic level (d15 N), the remote gulls (PCB153 17 ± 1221 ng/g wet wt, PFOS 19 ± 1421 ng/g wet wt) were similar to the urban marine feeders. Cyclic volatile methyl siloxanes were detected in only a few gulls, except for decamethylcyclopentasiloxane in the urban colony, which was found in 12 of 13 gulls. Only hexachlorobenzene was present in higher concentrations in the remote (2.6 ± 0.42 ng/g wet wt) compared with the urban colony (0.34 ± 0.33 ng/g wet wt). Baseline and induced DNA damage (doublestreak breaks) was higher in urban than in remote gulls for both terrestrial and marine feeders. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:2466-2478. © 2022 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.

Menstrual hygiene management and its determinants among adolescent girls in low-income urban areas of Delhi, India: a community-based study.

ObjectivesMenstrual hygiene management (MHM) in developing countries is linked to human rights, social justice, and the education and empowerment of young girls. The objective of this study was to assess menstrual hygiene practices and their determinants among adolescent girls, including school dropouts, and the effects of pad distribution programs in urban resettlement areas of Delhi, India.Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2019 to February 2020 in urban resettlement colonies and 2 villages of Delhi among 1,130 adolescent girls aged 10 to 19 years, who were interviewed face to face.Results In total, 954 participants (84.4%) used only disposable sanitary pads, 150 (13.3%) used both sanitary pads and cloths, and 26 (2.3%) used only cloths (n=1,130). Most school-going girls utilized the scheme for pad distribution, but only two-thirds of the girls who were out of school utilized the scheme. In the adjusted analysis, girls with lower educational status, those who had dropped out of school, and those from the Muslim religious community were more likely to use cloths for MHM.Conclusion More than 4 out of 5 adolescent girls in Delhi in low-income neighborhoods preferred sanitary pads for MHM. The government free pad scheme reached near-universal utilization among school-going girls (97%), but the subsidized pad scheme for girls who did not attend school was insufficiently utilized (75%).

Becoming urban: How city life shapes the social structure and genetics of ants.

Cities and urban environments can do peculiar things to biodiversity that shares them with us. How cities affect their invited and uninvited inhabitants has become an increasingly important question. More than half of the world's population dwells in urban areas, and these environments will keep expanding considerably. Understanding how this relatively recent, rapid, and pervasive form of landscape modification influences the ecology and evolution of organisms that cannot escape, or may benefit from it, is an emerging field of biology. Although we are aware of how some birds, mammals or plants respond to urban environments, less is known about insects and invertebrates in general. In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Blumenfeld et al. (2022) bring new remarkable insights into how a common ant species adjusts to urban settings across the United States by changing its social structure and behaviour. Using a large‐scale molecular, chemical and behavioural dataset, they document how the odorous house ant Tapinoma sessile differs in its colony organisation and dispersal strategy between rural and urban habitats. In each of the study regions and continent‐wide, rural and urban colonies are genetically and chemically differentiated, suggesting that urban settings act as potent agents of selection and isolation. The novelty and importance of this study are that it documents multiple independent transitions toward the same social organisation and the apparent effect of habitat on the life history of a eusocial insect species.

Health status indices of Kelp Gull populations in South Africa

ABSTRACT Kelp Gulls Larus dominicanus are widespread globally due to their ability to exploit a wide variety of resources and foraging habitats inland, in coastal areas and offshore. However, the increasing availability of anthropogenic diet items might potentially impact the health of their populations. We investigated body condition and parasite loads of incubating adult Kelp Gulls and their chicks at seven South African breeding colonies with varying proximity to landfills. Adult body condition indices did not differ significantly among colonies during the incubation period but were on average highest at one of the urban colonies, Strandfontein, which is next to a large landfill site in Cape Town. The only blood parasite identified was Haemoproteus spp. Prevalence overall was low, but significantly higher in adults than in chicks. Yeast cells (Candida spp.) were identified in faecal smears and coincided with higher body condition index values in incubating adults. Our results suggest that urban landscapes currently have little impact on these aspects of gull health, at least on individuals in good enough condition to breed.