WikiJournal of Science/Volume 7 Issue 1
WikiJournal of Science
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VOLUME 7 (2024)
ISSUE 1
Current issue
Author: Richard Digirolamo
Play behaviour in non-avian reptiles is poorly understood compared to mammals and birds. No previous reports provide systematic data regarding play-like behavior in the third most popular non-avian pet reptile, the leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius). Leopard geckos are known to engage with enrichment of novel items, and anecdotal observation by pet owners report high activity and play-like behaviour. An adult leopard gecko kept as a companion animal was provided with a running wheel to formally investigate possible play behaviour. Video recordings and a cycle counter attached to the running wheel were used to create an ethogram of one pet leopard gecko. The animal interacted with the wheel 16% of each measured day, in 11 wheel interaction episodes on average per measured day. The mean total distance measured by the cycle counter was 124 meters per measured day which surpasses the daily movement distance of some similar-sized diurnal lizards. The pattern of results indicates that the leopard gecko’s wheel use met all five previously established criteria for locomotion play, and showed that the leopard gecko to sometimes have high activity levels. These data suggest that when kept as a pet, given a running wheel or possibly other enrichment item, small reptiles such as leopard geckos engage in locomotion play. However, further studies with more individuals should be done to confirm this and investigate the possible physiological benefits of exercise.
Author: Tal Galili
In survey research, the design effect is a number that shows how well a sample of people may represent a larger group of people for a specific measure of interest (such as the mean). This is important when the sample comes from a sampling method that is different than just picking people using a simple random sample. The design effect is a positive real number, represented by the symbol . If , then the sample was selected in a way that is just as good as if people were picked randomly. When , then inference from the data collected is not as accurate as it could have been if people were picked randomly. When researchers use complicated methods to pick their sample, they use the design effect to check and adjust their results. It is also used when planning a study in order to figure out how many people should be in the sample.
doi: 10.15347/WJS/2024.004
Author: Aryan Kunkekar
The black-and-red broadbill (Cymbirhynchus macrorhynchos) is a species of bird in the Asian broadbill family, Eurylaimidae. It is the only species in the genus Cymbirhynchus. A large, distinctive bird, it has maroon underparts, black upperparts, a maroon half-collar covering the auricular regions, and white scapulars that form a white stripe on the wings at rest. It also has a large, two-colored, blue-and-yellow bill. The species shows slight sexual dimorphism, with females being smaller than males. No other bird in its range resembles it, though the black-and-yellow broadbill has a similar call. [...]
Authors: Enemuo Chidili Ijeoma, Okafor Emeka Christian, Okeke Somadina Nnamdi, Agulanna Ambrose Echefulachi, Ifeanacho Ezetaonu Abireh, Idorenyin Umoh, Kingsley Akaninyene Okon, Okara Andy-Davis Chidi, Ezejindu Damian Nnabuihe, Udodi Princewill Sopuluchukwu
Background: Kunu is a local beverage drink that finds its origin in the northern part of Nigeria. This study was aimed at determining the effect of the liquid drink on the epididymis, testes, sperm parameters, and hormonal assay. [...] doi: 10.15347/WJS/2024.001
Author: Katsutoshi Seki
Bioclogging or biological clogging refers to the blockage of pore space in soil by microbial biomass, including active cells and their byproducts such as extracellular polymeric substance (EPS). The microbial biomass obstructs pore spaces, creating an impermeable layer in the soil and significantly reducing water infiltration rates. [...] doi: 10.15347/WJS/2024.002
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