Do marmosets really have names?

A recent study demonstrated that marmoset "phee calls" include information specific to the intended receiver of the call, and that receivers respond more to calls that are specifically directed at them. The authors interpret this as showing that these calls are name-like vocal labels for individual marmosets, but there is at least one other possibility that would equally explain these data.

Identification of a new variant with a chromosomally encoded enterotoxin gene in a suspected persistent food poisoning outbreak in Eritrea.

is a causative agent of various human and animal enteric diseases including food poisoning. In this study, we describe an interesting case of a persistent food poisoning outbreak among Finnish peacekeepers in Eritrea, possibly caused by carrying a new variant of the chromosomally encoded enterotoxin gene. strains causing food poisoning carry the enterotoxin gene, , in its chromosome (c-) or on a plasmid (p-).

Minding the Minds: A Primer on Cognitive Challenge for Marine Mammals in Human Care.

The past several decades have witnessed significant improvement in the physical welfare of marine mammals in zoos and aquariums. Over that same time period, research has revealed complex cognitive abilities in at least some of these species, yet there has been comparatively little attention paid to addressing their cognitive welfare per se. Studies primarily conducted with terrestrial animals have suggested that providing appropriate cognitive challenges in managed care settings can improve animal well-being.

Are Dolphins Kept in Impoverished Environments?

Numerous studies have demonstrated the negative effects of impoverished environments versus the positive effects of enriched environments on animals' cognitive and neural functioning. Recently, a hypothesis was raised suggesting that conditions for dolphins in zoological facilities may be inherently impoverished, and thus lead to neural and cognitive deficits. This review directly examines that hypothesis in light of the existing scientific literature relevant to dolphin welfare in zoological facilities.

Anthropogenic noise impairs cooperation in bottlenose dolphins.

Understanding the impact of human disturbance on wildlife populations is of societal importance, with anthropogenic noise known to impact a range of taxa, including mammals, birds, fish, and invertebrates. While animals are known to use acoustic and other behavioral mechanisms to compensate for increasing noise at the individual level, our understanding of how noise impacts social animals working together remains limited. Here, we investigated the effect of noise on coordination between two bottlenose dolphins performing a cooperative task.

Long-term nutritional trends in the Finnish population estimated from a large laboratory database from 1987 to 2020.

The assessments of malnutrition in adults with MUST or NRS-2002 criteria do not give a detailed insight into the sufficiency of micronutrients. Sufficiency assessment of essential micronutrients on the individual level can be achieved only with laboratory measurements. The aim of this study was to estimate long-term trends in micronutrient sufficiency in the Finnish population with regards to gender and sex covariates.

Comparative Genome Analysis and Spore Heat Resistance Assay Reveal a New Component to Population Structure and Genome Epidemiology Within Enterotoxin-Carrying Isolates.

causes a variety of human and animal enteric diseases including food poisoning, antibiotic-associated diarrhea, and necrotic enteritis. Yet, the reservoirs of enteropathogenic enterotoxin-producing strains remain unknown. We conducted a genomic comparison of 290 strains and a heat resistance phenotyping of 30 strains to elucidate the population structure and ecology of this pathogen.

Evidence that bottlenose dolphins can communicate with vocal signals to solve a cooperative task.

Cooperation experiments have long been used to explore the cognition underlying animals' coordination towards a shared goal. While the ability to understand the need for a partner in a cooperative task has been demonstrated in a number of species, there has been far less focus on cooperation experiments that address the role of communication. In humans, cooperative efforts can be enhanced by physical synchrony, and coordination problems can be solved using spoken language.

Do dolphins really have a rightward lateralization for action? The importance of behavior-specific and orientation-neutral coding.

Because each side of the vertebrate body is controlled by a different side of the brain, studies of behavioral lateralization can provide insight into functional cerebral asymmetries in humans and other animals. The current study examined behavioral lateralization for a variety of behaviors in a group of 26 dolphins, in order to assess the claim that cetaceans show strong rightward action asymmetries indicative of a left-hemisphere specialization for action. We distinguished between side asymmetries and whole body turning actions, and devised a new coding system to counter the problem that previous studies of rolling behaviors (i.

Bias and Misrepresentation of Science Undermines Productive Discourse on Animal Welfare Policy: A Case Study.

Reliable scientific knowledge is crucial for informing legislative, regulatory, and policy decisions in a variety of areas. To that end, scientific reviews of topical issues can be invaluable tools for informing productive discourse and decision-making, assuming these reviews represent the target body of scientific knowledge as completely, accurately, and objectively as possible. Unfortunately, not all reviews live up to this standard.

The association between high sensitivity C-reactive protein and micronutrient levels: A cross-sectional analysis based on a laboratory database.

Background And Aims: Low-grade chronic inflammation is a condition underlying many serious diseases but there is no good single biomarker which can estimate and monitor the severity of the inflammation. C-reactive protein (CRP) is the best validated and most extensively used marker. The aims of the study were to investigate the extent to which CRP levels associate with levels of micronutrients.

Changes in Transcriptome of IP32953 Grown at 3 and 28°C Detected by RNA Sequencing Shed Light on Cold Adaptation.

is a bacterium that not only survives, but also thrives, proliferates, and remains infective at cold-storage temperatures, making it an adept foodborne pathogen. We analyzed the differences in gene expression between IP32953 grown at 3 and 28°C to investigate which genes were significantly more expressed at low temperature at different phases of growth. We isolated and sequenced the RNA from six distinct corresponding growth points at both temperatures to also outline the expression patterns of the differentially expressed genes.

Bottlenose dolphins can understand their partner's role in a cooperative task.

In recent decades, a number of studies have examined whether various non-human animals understand their partner's role in cooperative situations. Yet the relatively tolerant timing requirements of these tasks make it theoretically possible for animals to succeed by using simple behavioural strategies rather than by jointly intended coordination. Here we investigated whether bottlenose dolphins could understand a cooperative partner's role by testing whether they could learn a button-pressing task requiring precise behavioural synchronization.

A Decrease in Temperature and Humidity Precedes Human Rhinovirus Infections in a Cold Climate.

Both temperature and humidity may independently or jointly contribute to the risk of human rhinovirus (HRV) infections, either through altered survival and spread of viruses in the environment or due to changes in host susceptibility. This study examined the relationship between short-term variations in temperature and humidity and the risk of HRV infections in a subarctic climate. We conducted a case-crossover study among conscripts (n = 892) seeking medical attention due to respiratory symptoms during their military training and identified 147 HRV cases by real-time PCR.

Cooperation or dolphin 'tug-of-war'? Comment on Kuczaj et al. and Eskelinen et al.

Two recent papers by Kuczaj et al. (Anim Cognit 18:543-550, 2015) and Eskelinen et al. (Anim Cognit 19:789-797, 2016) claim to have demonstrated that (i) bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) cooperated to solve a novel task and (ii) vocal signals were important for coordinating these cooperative efforts.

Maternal signature whistle use aids mother-calf reunions in a bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus.

Individual vocal signatures play an important role in parent-offspring recognition in many animals. One species that uses signature calls to accurately facilitate individual recognition is the bottlenose dolphin. Female dolphins and their calves will use their highly individualised signature whistles to identify and maintain contact with one another.

Comparative Genomic Hybridization Analysis of Yersinia enterocolitica and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Identifies Genetic Traits to Elucidate Their Different Ecologies.

Enteropathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis are both etiological agents for intestinal infection known as yersiniosis, but their epidemiology and ecology bear many differences. Swine are the only known reservoir for Y. enterocolitica 4/O:3 strains, which are the most common cause of human disease, while Y.

68Ga-DOTA-Siglec-9--a new imaging tool to detect synovitis.

Introduction: Vascular adhesion protein-1 (VAP-1) is an adhesion molecule, which upon inflammation is rapidly translocated from intracellular sources to the endothelial cell surface. We have recently discovered that sialic acid- binding immunoglobulin-like lectin 9 (Siglec-9) is a leukocyte ligand of VAP-1 and that 68Ga-labeled Siglec-9 motif peptide facilitates in vivo imaging of inflammation. This study evaluated the feasibility of 68Ga-DOTA-Siglec-9 positron emission tomography (PET) for the assessment of synovitis.

Making the strongest argument: Reply to Pepperberg (2015).

Jaakkola (2014) argued that because the majority of studies of animals' understanding of invisible displacement did not adequately control for the use of alternative lower-level strategies, clear and solid evidence for a conceptual understanding of invisible displacement existed only for great apes. Pepperberg (2015) takes issue with this conclusion with respect to Grey parrots. While I agree that olfactory and social cueing may not be issues of concern for parrots, I reiterate the need for a study that adequately controls for associative learning before we can confidently claim that parrots understand invisible displacement.

Ovarian endometriosis signatures established through discovery and directed mass spectrometry analysis.

New molecular information on potential therapeutic targets or tools for noninvasive diagnosis for endometriosis are important for patient care and treatment. However, surprisingly few efforts have described endometriosis at the protein level. In this work we enumerate the proteins in patient endometrium and ovarian endometrioma by extensive and comprehensive analysis of minute amounts of cryosectioned tissues in a three-tiered mass spectrometric approach.

Decline in temperature and humidity increases the occurrence of influenza in cold climate.

Background: Both temperature and humidity may independently or jointly contribute to the risk of influenza infections. We examined the relations between the level and decrease of temperature, humidity and the risk of influenza A and B virus infections in a subarctic climate.

Methods: We conducted a case-crossover study among military conscripts (n = 892) seeking medical attention due to respiratory symptoms during their military training period and identified 66 influenza A and B cases by PCR or serology.

Do animals understand invisible displacement? A critical review.

The ability to mentally represent the movement of hidden objects (i.e., invisible displacement) is of theoretical importance due to its generally accepted status as an indicator of the development of a powerful type of representational capacity in human children.

Switching strategies: a dolphin's use of passive and active acoustics to imitate motor actions.

Scientists have long debated the extent to which animals can imitate. Observations of bottlenose dolphins suggest a sophisticated capacity for social imitation, but little is known about the nature of these abilities. Here, we explore the behavioral mechanisms underlying a dolphin's ability to copy motor actions while blindfolded (i.