Trapped between food, heat, and insects: Movement of moose () and exposure to flies in the boreal forest of Alaska.

Moose () in the boreal forest habitats of Alaska are unlike other northern ungulates because they tolerate high densities of flies (Diptera) even though flies cause wounds and infections during the warm summer months. Moose move to find food and to find relief from overheating (hyperthermia) but do they avoid flies? We used GPS collars to measure the rate of movement (m⋅h) and the time spent (min⋅day) by enclosed moose in four habitats: wetlands, black spruce, early seral boreal forest, and late seral boreal forest. Fly traps were used in each habitat to quantify spatio-temporal abundance.

Robust Responses of Female Caribou to Changes in Food Supply.

AbstractUngulates can respond to changes in food supply by altering foraging behavior, digestive function, and metabolism. A multifaceted response to an environmental change is considered robust. Short seasons of plant growth make herbivores sensitive to changes in food supply because maintenance and production must be accomplished in less time with fewer options in a more fragile response.

Estimating Mineral Requirements of Wild Herbivores: Modelling Arctic Caribou () in Summer.

Mineral requirements are poorly described for most wildlife. Consequently, the role of forage minerals in movement and productivity are poorly understood for sedentary and migratory ungulates, such as reindeer and caribou (). We applied estimates of maintenance, lactation, body mass change, and antler growth to production curves (body mass, daily intake, and milk yield) for female caribou to calculate their mineral requirements over summer.

The effect of size and density on the mean retention time of particles in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus).

Particle passage from the reticulorumen (RR) depends on particle density and size. A classic way of assessing these effects is the use of plastic markers of varying density and size that are recovered in the faeces. Here, we report results of an experiment where four fistulated reindeer (Rangifer tarandus, 96 ± 12 kg) were fed two different diets (browse, voluntary dry matter intake [DMI] 70 ± 10 g/kg/d; or a pelleted diet, DMI 124 ± 52 g/kg/d) and dosed via fistula with 8 different particle types combining densities of 1.

Sores of boreal moose reveal a previously unknown genetic lineage of parasitic nematode within the genus Onchocerca.

Long-standing reports of open sores on the hind legs of moose (Alces alces) have been recorded in Alaska (as well as Canada, Europe, and Michigan), eliciting concerns about causes and infection. We used histological and genomic methods to investigate the sores from 20 adult moose on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska. We paired this with thermal imagery and molt scoring of adult moose to further describe sore formation and understand its timing.

Electromyographic analysis of pelvic floor muscles during the execution of pelvic patterns of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation-concept: An observational study.

Objective: To assess the effect of pelvic patterns of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF-concept) on pelvic floor muscles (PFM) recruitment, as well as the electromyographic activity of muscles synergic to the pelvic floor in healthy women.

Methods: Observational study conducted with 31 women aged between 18 and 35 years, with mean age of 23.3 ± 3.

Dynamic selection for forage quality and quantity in response to phenology and insects in an Arctic ungulate.

Spatiotemporal variation in forage is a primary driver of ungulate behavior, yet little is known about the nutritional components they select, and how selection varies across the growing season with changes in forage quality and quantity. We addressed these uncertainties in barren-ground caribou (), which experience their most important foraging opportunities during the short Arctic summer. Recent declines in Arctic caribou populations have raised concerns about the influence of climate change on summer foraging opportunities, given shifting vegetation conditions and insect harassment, and their potential effects on caribou body condition and demography.

Trace mineral supplies for populations of little and large herbivores.

Copper (Cu), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn) are essential trace minerals for the reproduction, growth, and immunity of mammalian herbivore populations. We examined the relationships between Cu, Fe, and Zn in soils, common plants, and hepatic stores of two wild herbivores to assess the effects of weather, sex, and population density on the transfer of trace minerals from soils to mammals during the growing season. Soils, grasses, woody browse, hispid cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus), and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) were sampled across 19 sites.

Behaviour influences thermoregulation of boreal moose during the warm season.

Management of large herbivores depends on providing habitats for forage supply and refuge from risks of temperature, predation and disease. Moose () accumulate body energy and nutrient stores during summer, while reducing the impact of warm temperatures through physiological and behavioural thermoregulation. Building on the animal indicator concept, we used rumen temperature sensors and GPS collars on captive moose ( = 6) kept in large natural enclosures to evaluate how behaviour and habitat selection influence the rate of change in rumen temperature during the growing season on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, USA.

Impact of early post-stress Tc sestamibi ECG-gated SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging on the detection of ischemic LV dyssynchrony: an early step in the stunning cascade.

Transient alterations in ventricular conduction and synchronized cardiac performance have been reported in experimental models of myocardial ischemia. In post-stress Tc-sestamibi-gated-SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI), the time elapsed between tracer injection and image acquisition could influence the detection of ischemic left ventricular mechanical dyssynchrony (LVMD). We aimed at evaluating whether early vs.

Eugenol mitigated acute lung but not spermatic toxicity of C fullerene emulsion in mice.

C fullerene (C) is a nano-pollutant that can damage the respiratory system. Eugenol exhibits significant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. We aimed to investigate the time course of C emulsion-induced pulmonary and spermatic harms, as well as the effect of eugenol on C emulsion toxicity.

Reliability of a standing isokinetic shoulder rotators strength test using a functional electromechanical dynamometer: effects of velocity.

Background: The evaluation of the force in internal rotation (IR) and external rotation (ER) of the shoulder is commonly used to diagnose possible pathologies or disorders in the glenohumeral joint and to assess patient's status and progression over time. Currently, there is new technology of multiple joint isokinetic dynamometry that allows to evaluate the strength in the human being. The main purpose of this study was to determine the absolute and relative reliability of concentric and eccentric internal and external shoulder rotators with a functional electromechanical dynamometer (FEMD).

Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation compared to conventional physiotherapy for adults with traumatic upper brachial plexus injury: A protocol for a randomized clinical trial.

Background: Traumatic upper plexus injury affects daily living activities performance and participation of individuals. Physical therapy treatment has a fundamental role on functional recovery, but it is still an unexplored and challenging field.

Aim: To develop a protocol to evaluate the efficacy of Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) compared to conventional physiotherapy (CPT group) on functionality and quality of life.

Redefining physiological responses of moose (Alces alces) to warm environmental conditions.

We tested the concept that moose (Alces alces) begin to show signs of thermal stress at ambient air temperatures as low as 14 °C. We determined the response of Alaskan female moose to environmental conditions from May through September by measuring core body temperature, heart rate, respiration rate, rate of heat loss from exhaled air, skin temperature, and fecal and salivary glucocorticoids. Seasonal and daily patterns in moose body temperature did not passively follow the same patterns as environmental variables.

Decadal heat and drought drive body size of North American bison () along the Great Plains.

Large grazers are visible and valuable indicators of the effects of projected changes in temperature and drought on grasslands. The grasslands of the Great Plains have supported the greatest number of bison (; Linnaeus, 1758) since prehistoric times. We tested the hypothesis that body mass (BM, kg) and asymptotic body mass (ABM, kg) of decline with rising temperature and increasing drought over both temporal and spatial scales along the Great Plains.

Is summer food intake a limiting factor for boreal browsers? Diet, temperature, and reproduction as drivers of consumption in female moose.

Food intake may limit the ability of browsing mammals to gain body mass during the growing season when the leaves and stems of woody plants are most abundant. Moose are highly productive browsers with high demands for energy and nutrients, particularly during lactation. Using an indigestible marker, we estimated dry matter intake of free ranging adult female moose with and without calves over three growing seasons.

2017 Outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in Northern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Background: In 2017, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) recorded its eighth Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak, approximately 3 years after the previous outbreak.

Methods: Suspect cases of EVD were identified on the basis of clinical and epidemiological information. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis or serological testing was used to confirm Ebola virus infection in suspected cases.

Zika Virus Infection during Pregnancy and Effects on Early Childhood Development, French Polynesia, 2013-2016.

Congenital Zika virus syndrome consists of a large spectrum of neurologic abnormalities seen in infants infected with Zika virus in utero. However, little is known about the effects of Zika virus intrauterine infection on the neurocognitive development of children born without birth defects. Using a case-control study design, we investigated the temporal association of a cluster of congenital defects with Zika virus infection.

The World Organisation for Animal Health and the World Health Organization: intergovernmental disease information and reporting systems and their role in early warning.

Only two international organisations have a global legal framework that allows them to request, collect, and release global animal or human health information: the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), which is responsible for transparently assessing the global animal health situation, and the World Health Organization (WHO), which is responsible for transparently assessing the global human health situation. Legal instruments bind OIE Member Countries and WHO States Parties (OIE's Standards and WHO's International Health Regulations [IHR]) to report certain disease outbreaks and public health events to their respective organisations. OIE Member Countries must report exceptional epidemiological events involving any OIE-listed diseases, including zoonoses.

Monitoring responses to variation in food supply for a migratory waterfowl: American Black Duck (Anas rubripes) in winter.

Wintering Black Ducks (Anas rubripes) concentrate in wetlands along the Atlantic coast where natural and anthropogenic disturbances have increased over the last 50 years, a period in which the population of Black Ducks has declined. We studied the sensitivity of Black Ducks to perturbations in food supply that often result from disturbances by storms, predators, and people. In the paper, we characterize the responses of captive Black Ducks to shifts in food quality and availability during winter and apply those measures to a comparison of wild birds.