Bioavailability, accumulation and effects of heavy metals in sediments with special reference to United Kingdom estuaries: a review

Several authors of books on the monitoring of pollution have advocated the use of animals as monitors in terrestrial and aquatic environments (e.g. Phillips, 1980; Schubert, 1985). Such studies tend to emphasize the use of sedentary invertebrate animals as biomonitors. By comparison, birds suffer from several apparent drawbacks. They are mobile, so pollutants will be picked up from a wide, often ill-defined, area; they are long-lived, so pollutant burdens may be integrated in some complex way over time; and they have more complex physiology, and so may regulate pollutant levels better then invertebrates. Furthermore, birds tend to be more difficult to sample, and killing birds may be unacceptable for conservation or ethical reasons. However, some of these characteristics may at times be positively advantegeous. Integrating pollutant levels over greater areas or timescales or over food webs, may be useful, provided that species are chosen carefully. Less sampling may be necessary if birds can reflect pollutant levels in the whole ecosystem or over a broad area. In addition, since they are high in food chains, birds may reflect pollutant hazards to humans better than do most invertebrates. It is also significant that birds are extremely popular animals with the general public, so pollutant hazards to them are likely to receive greater attention than threats to invertebrates.

Birds as monitors of pollutants

SUMMARY (1) The number of dunlin, Calidris alpina alpina (L.), wintering in the British Isles has decreased by almost half since 1973-74, much of the decrease occurring before 1977-78. A similar decrease seems to have occurred in the other main wintering areas in Holland and France between 1973-74 and 1977-78. But since then, numbers in these two countries have not decreased whereas in Britain numbers declined by a further 77 000 by 1985-86. (2) The rate of decline since 1977-78 has varied between British estuaries, many showing no change in numbers. Dunlin numbers declined at the greatest rates in estuaries where cord grass, Spartina anglica C. E. Hubbard, has spread most over the intertidal flats where the birds feed. In estuaries where the extent of Spartina has not changed, numbers of dunlin have not declined significantly, except in some small estuaries in south Devon and in north Scotland. (3) The results suggest that most birds displaced from estuaries where Spartina has spread have not yet been able to re-establish themselves elsewhere in Britain or in some other countries within the wintering range of Calidris alpina. Nor have dunlin numbers' increased in estuaries where Spartina has declined through natural die-back. The reasons for this, and the implications of the results as a whole for the conservation of dunlin, are discussed.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/2403612.pdf

Rates of change in the numbers of dunlin, calidris alpina, wintering in british estuaries in relation to the spread of spartina anglica

Sandpipers of the genus Calidris tend to have similar body shapes and use narrow, tubular bills to feed on invertebrates in aquatic habitats over an extensive migratory range. Highly plastic foraging behaviours have been displayed but the associations between diet and feeding mechanics are less well understood. Here, scanning electron microscopy was used to relate the ultrastructure of the bills and tongues of two sympatric congeners, western sandpiper (C. mauri) and dunlin (C. alpina), to function and elucidate the sensory and mechanical basis to feeding. The morphology of the relatively larger, more robust bill of the dunlin suggests specialization for probing although both species are known to feed on epifaunal and infaunal prey. In general, external and internal bill features appear similar for the congeners and the microstructure of taste bud and salivary gland complexes in their mouth cavities correspond to descriptions for other birds. However, the tongues of the two species are remarkable for their distinctive micro-structural details as well as copious mucus and extraneous material. In particular, each species has unique tongue papillae, and the keratinized lateral spines along the edges and at the tips of the western sandpiper tongue are markedly longer and denser than for those of the dunlin. Based on the unique features of the tongues and associated observations, inter-species differences in foraging performance can be inferred. Further, evidence suggests that the western sandpiper, and, to a lesser extent, the dunlin, deposit feed on surficial biofilm materials, as opposed to incidentally imbibing such materials while targeting epifaunal prey. Commensurate with the evidence, a novel functional and mechanistic case for unfiltered biofilm grazing in birds is proposed.

Evidence of a new feeding mode in western sandpiper ( Calidris mauri ) and dunlin ( Calidris alpina ) based on bill and tongue morphology and ultrastructure

Background Nurses and nursing aides are at high risk of developing musculoskeletal pain (MSP). This study aimed to evaluate a multifaceted intervention to prevent and manage MSP in two hospitals. Material and methods We performed a two-armed cluster randomized controlled trial, with a late intervention control group. Clusters were independent hospital units with nursing staff as participants. The intervention comprised three evidence-based components: participatory ergonomics, health promotion activities and case management. Both the intervention and the control group received usual occupational health care. The intervention lasted one year. MSP and work functioning data was collected at baseline, six and 12-month follow-up. Odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were calculated for MSP risk in the intervention group compared to the control group using logistic regression through GEE. Differences in work functioning between the intervention and control group were analyzed using linear regression through GEE. The incidence of sickness absence was calculated through logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard modeling was used to analyze the effect of the intervention on sickness absence duration. Results Eight clusters were randomized including 473 nurses and nursing aides. At 12 months, the intervention group showed a statistically significant decrease of the risk in neck, shoulders and upper back pain, compared to the control group (OR = 0.37; 95%CI = 0.14-0.96). A reduction of low back pain was also observed, though non statistically significant. We found no differences regarding work functioning and the incidence and duration of sickness absence. Conclusions The intervention was effective to reduce neck, shoulder and upper back pain. Our results, though modest, suggests that interventions to prevent and manage MSP need a multifactorial approach including the three levels of prevention, and framed within the biopsychosocial model.

/pdf/multifaceted-intervention-for-the-prevention-and-management-37clw6g1an.pdf

Multifaceted intervention for the prevention and management of musculoskeletal pain in nursing staff: Results of a cluster randomized controlled trial

The Clyde Estuary is recovering from gross pollution. In the early 1970s high densities of a small number of species of intertidal invertebrates tolerant of organic enrichment and low oxygen levels provided rich feeding for large numbers of dunlin, redshank, lapwing, oystercatcher and curlew. Winter numbers of the first three species have now declined considerably. The declines cannot be attributed to national changes in wader numbers and are not due to changes in breeding habitats or lack of reproductive success in particular regions, since each species wintering on the Clyde Estuary breeds in a different area. The most likely explanation of the decline, which is most pronounced in the species highly dependent on Corophium volutator, is either that reduced organic pollution has reduced the densities of the main prey, or that higher oxygen levels over the mudflats have allowed fish, particularly flounders, to enter the estuary and compete with the waders for the available prey. Although there is evidence of some birds having moved to other wintering areas, the fate of most birds is unknown.

Recent changes in numbers of waders on the Clyde Estuary, and their significance for conservation

A requirement of the Government’s Pathways to Work (PtW) agenda was to introduce a Condition Management Programme (CMP). The aim of the present study was to identify the differences between those who engaged and made progress in this telephone-based biopsychosocial intervention, in terms of their health, and those who did not and to determine the client and practitioner characteristics and programme elements associated with success in a programme aimed at improving health. Data were obtained from the CMP electronic spreadsheets and clients paper-based case records. CMP standard practice was that questionnaires were administered during the pre- and post-assessment phases over the telephone. Each client’s record contains their socio-demographic data, their primary health condition, as well as the pre- and post-intervention scores of the health assessment tool administered. Univariate and multivariate statistical analysis was used to investigate the relationships between the database variables. Clients were included in the study if their records were available for analysis from July 2006 to December 2007. On average there were 112 referrals per month, totalling 2016 referrals during the evaluation period. The majority (62.8%) of clients had a mental-health condition. Successful completion of the programme was 28.5% (575 “completers”; 144 “discharges”). Several factors, such as age, health condition, mode of contact, and practitioner characteristics, were significant determinants of participation and completion of the programme. The results showed that completion of the CMP was associated with a better mental-health status, by reducing the number of clients that were either anxious, depressed or both, before undertaking the programme, from 74% to 32.5%. Our findings showed that an individual's characteristics are associated with success in the programme, defined as completing the intervention and demonstrating an improved health status. This study provides some evidence that the systematic evaluation of such programmes and interventions could identify ways in which they could be improved.

/pdf/identification-of-the-factors-associated-with-outcomes-in-a-16776p3yjg.pdf

Identification of the factors associated with outcomes in a Condition Management Programme

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Recent changes in numbers of waders on the Clyde Estuary, and their significance for conservation

Identification of the factors associated with outcomes in a Condition Management Programme