Estimating uncertainty in density surface models.

Providing uncertainty estimates for predictions derived from species distribution models is essential for management but there is little guidance on potential sources of uncertainty in predictions and how best to combine these. Here we show where uncertainty can arise in density surface models (a multi-stage spatial modelling approach for distance sampling data), focussing on cetacean density modelling. We propose an extensible, modular, hybrid analytical-simulation approach to encapsulate these sources.

Expanding protected areas to encompass the conservation of the endangered common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) in the Alboran Sea.

The Natura 2000 network is the centerpiece of the European Union conservation strategy to safeguard priority species and habitats. The question of whether other co-occurring species of conservation concern may also benefit from this network, however, remains largely unknown. Here, we used a systematic approach (MARXAN) for i) evaluating if the current Natura 2000 network in the Alboran Sea (western Mediterranean Sea), initially proposed to protect the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and priority habitats, is also spatially protecting the endangered common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), and ii) identifying additional marine areas that should be protected to reach adequate conservation targets for the common dolphin.

Influence of E-cadherin genetic variation in canine mammary tumour risk, clinicopathological features and prognosis.

E-cadherin is a cell adhesion molecule that participates in several cellular processes that guarantee the maintenance of structural and functional integrity of epithelial tissues. E-cadherin plays an important role in mammary carcinogenesis, and various studies have demonstrated the effect of CDH1 genetic variation in risk, progression and biological behaviour of human breast cancer. Although there are some recognized genetic variations in canine CDH1 gene, their influence in canine mammary tumour development and progression has not been previously evaluated.

The cell tube block technique and an immunohistochemistry panel including Wilms tumor 1 to assist in diagnosing cavitary effusions in dogs and cats.

Background: Cell blocks and immunohistochemistry (IHC) are increasingly recognized as being complementary tools for cytologic diagnostics, especially for neoplastic diseases.

Objectives: The study aimed to evaluate the utility of cell tube block (CTB) IHC for refining the diagnosis of effusions in dogs and cats.

Methods: Cavitary effusions (n = 25) from dogs and cats classified by cytology as reactive, neoplastic, borderline (suspicious of neoplasia), and chylous were studied.

Using tagging data and aerial surveys to incorporate availability bias in the abundance estimation of blue sharks (Prionace glauca).

There is worldwide concern about the status of elasmobranchs, primarily as a result of overfishing and bycatch with subsequent ecosystem effects following the removal of top predators. Whilst abundant and wide-ranging, blue sharks (Prionace glauca) are the most heavily exploited shark species having suffered marked declines over the past decades, and there is a call for robust abundance estimates. In this study, we utilized depth data collected from two blue sharks using pop-up satellite archival tags, and modelled the proportion of time the sharks were swimming in the top 1-meter layer and could therefore be detected by observers conducting aerial surveys.

Catechol-o-methyltransferase genotypes are associated with progression and biological behaviour of canine mammary tumours.

The enzyme catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT) is responsible for inactivation of catechol estrogens, which are well-recognized carcinogenic metabolites. Two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in canine COMT gene were previously associated with the age of onset of mammary tumours and with the clinical progression of the disease. However, no information is available regarding the impact of other known SNPs in COMT gene in canine mammary tumours.

Canine mammary tumor risk is associated with polymorphisms in RAD51 and STK11 genes.

Cancer is a complex disease involving genetic and phenotypic changes. Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been associated with the risk of breast cancer development in women; however, little is known regarding their influence on canine mammary tumor risk. We assessed the influence of SNPs in genes related to human breast cancer susceptibility, with respect to the risk of development of mammary tumors in dogs.

Acute intraparenchymal cerebral haemorrhage in an Iberian golden eagle - a case report.

Background: In birds there are reports of intracranial lesions but not of the clinical, computed tomographic and histopathologic features of acute intraparenchymal cerebral haemorrhage in Iberian golden eagle.

Case Presentation: The following report describes a case of a 30-year-old Iberian golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos homeyeri) with no history of trauma, presented with acute opisthotonus, left head tilt and circling, anisocoria, positional nystagmus, and ataxia. The main differential diagnosis were hypovitaminosis B or E and intracranial disease due to trauma, infection, toxins or masses.

Assessing cetacean surveys throughout the Mediterranean Sea: a gap analysis in environmental space.

Heterogeneous data collection in the marine environment has led to large gaps in our knowledge of marine species distributions. To fill these gaps, models calibrated on existing data may be used to predict species distributions in unsampled areas, given that available data are sufficiently representative. Our objective was to evaluate the feasibility of mapping cetacean densities across the entire Mediterranean Sea using models calibrated on available survey data and various environmental covariates.

Expression of iron-related proteins in feline and canine mammary gland reveals unexpected accumulation of iron.

Dysregulation of cellular iron homeostasis in human breast cancer is reflected by the altered expression of regulatory proteins. The expressions of iron-related proteins in the mammary glands of cats and dogs have not been assessed. We evaluated the expressions of ferritin, ferroportin, hepcidin and transferrin receptor 1 in benign and malignant mammary gland lesions in cats and dogs.

New insights into ocean sunfish (Mola mola) abundance and seasonal distribution in the northeast Atlantic.

The ocean sunfish, Mola mola, is the largest teleost fish in the world. Despite being found in all oceans of the world, little is known about its abundance and factors driving its distribution. In this study we provide the first abundance estimates for sunfish in offshore waters in the northeast Atlantic and the first record of extensive sunfish presence in these waters year-round.

Conservation Status of Long-Finned Pilot Whales, Globicephala melas, in the Mediterranean Sea.

Mediterranean Sea long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) are currently classified as Data Deficient on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Multiple lines of evidence, including molecular genetic and photo-identification mark-recapture analyses, indicate that the Strait of Gibraltar population (distributed from 5.8°W longitude to west of Djibouti Bank and Alborán Dorsal in the Alborán Sea) is differentiated from the Mediterranean Sea population (east of Djibouti Bank and the Alborán Dorsal up to the Ligurian Sea).

Cuvier's Beaked Whale, Ziphius cavirostris, Distribution and Occurrence in the Mediterranean Sea: High-Use Areas and Conservation Threats.

Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris G. Cuvier, 1823) is the only beaked whale species commonly found in the Mediterranean Sea. Until recently, species presence in this area was only inferred from stranding events.

Multiple Cutaneous Metastasis of a Malignant Leydig Cell Tumour in a Dog.

A testicular Leydig cell tumour associated with metastatic disease is reported in a dog. An enlarged testis and three cutaneous nodules resected from an 11-year-old golden retriever were submitted for histopathological examination. Both testicular and cutaneous lesions showed identical morphological and cytological changes.

The Devil We Don't Know: Investigating Habitat and Abundance of Endangered Giant Devil Rays in the North-Western Mediterranean Sea.

The giant devil ray Mobula mobular, the only Mediterranean mobulid, is subject to mortality caused by directed and accidental captures in fisheries throughout the region. Whilst the combination of human impacts, limited range and a low reproductive potential is not inconsistent with its endangered listing, there are insufficient data to enable a quantitative assessment of trends. Without this, it is difficult to assess and prioritise threats and develop effective conservation actions.

[Psychometric validation of the OAB-V8 and OAB-V3 scales for the screening of patients with probable overactive bladder in the Spanish population].

Background And Objective: To perform the psychometric validation in the Spanish population of the Overactive Bladder Awareness Tool (OAB-V8) scale and its abbreviated version OAB-V3 for screening patients with probable overactive bladder (OAB).

Patients And Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a population aged over 18 years, which was representative of the prevalence of OAB in Spain using an online methodology (Internet survey). Psychometric properties included feasibility, reliability, and validity.

Using hidden Markov models to deal with availability bias on line transect surveys.

We develop estimators for line transect surveys of animals that are stochastically unavailable for detection while within detection range. The detection process is formulated as a hidden Markov model with a binary state-dependent observation model that depends on both perpendicular and forward distances. This provides a parametric method of dealing with availability bias when estimates of availability process parameters are available even if series of availability events themselves are not.

As main meal for sperm whales: plastics debris.

Marine debris has been found in marine animals since the early 20th century, but little is known about the impacts of the ingestion of debris in large marine mammals. In this study we describe a case of mortality of a sperm whale related to the ingestion of large amounts of marine debris in the Mediterranean Sea (4th published case worldwide to our knowledge), and discuss it within the context of the spatial distribution of the species and the presence of anthropogenic activities in the area that could be the source of the plastic debris found inside the sperm whale. The spatial distribution modelled for the species in the region shows that these animals can be seen in two distinct areas: near the waters of Almería, Granada and Murcia and in waters near the Strait of Gibraltar.

Assessment of social and economic influences on blood pressure of adolescents in public and private schools: an epidemiological study.

Introduction: The high prevalence of hypertension in high school students in Sorocaba, São Paulo, Brazil, has already been described. In this study, within a new sample of high school students from public and private schools, we evaluated if socioeconomic and lifestyle influence on blood pressure values.

Methods: This is an epidemiological study, which is part of the activities of a community-based work conducted by medical students.

Female philopatry in coastal basins and male dispersion across the North Atlantic in a highly mobile marine species, the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus).

The mechanisms that determine population structure in highly mobile marine species are poorly understood, but useful towards understanding the evolution of diversity, and essential for effective conservation and management. In this study, we compare putative sperm whale populations located in the Gulf of Mexico, western North Atlantic, Mediterranean Sea and North Sea using mtDNA control region sequence data and 16 polymorphic microsatellite loci. The Gulf of Mexico, western North Atlantic and North Sea populations each possessed similar low levels of haplotype and nucleotide diversity at the mtDNA locus, while the Mediterranean Sea population showed no detectable mtDNA diversity.