Cognitive Impairment in the Primary Care Clinic.

Cognitive impairment is a common problem in the geriatric population and is characterized by variable symptoms of memory difficulties, executive dysfunction, language or visuospatial problems, and behavioral changes. It is imperative that primary care clinicians recognize and differentiate the variable symptoms associated with cognitive impairment from changes attributable to normal aging or secondary to other medical conditions. A thorough evaluation for potentially reversible causes of dementia is required before diagnosis with a neurodegenerative dementia.

Novel adenovirus associated with common tern (Sterna hirundo) chicks.

Adenoviruses have been identified in a wide variety of avian species, and in some species, they have been shown to cause disease and increase mortality. As part of an endeavor to investigate viruses associated with common terns (Sterna hirundo), a novel adenovirus was identified in fecal samples from two common terns on Gull Island, Lake Ontario, Canada. The coding-complete genome sequence of the new adenovirus is 31,094 bp, containing 28 putative genes, and this is the first adenovirus to be associated with terns.

Opportunistic predation of birds by breeding Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus).

Dietary specialization, exploiting a small fraction of available food resources, is commonly reported for gulls and skuas. Predation of birds by these species is usually considered a specialist strategy employed by the minority of the population but non-specialists also predate birds and may actually have a greater impact on the prey species. To date, most studies have focused on predatory bird-specialists, down-playing the possible importance of opportunistic predation by non-specialists.

Unveiling Crucivirus Diversity by Mining Metagenomic Data.

The discovery of cruciviruses revealed the most explicit example of a common protein homologue between DNA and RNA viruses to date. Cruciviruses are a novel group of circular Rep-encoding single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) (CRESS-DNA) viruses that encode capsid proteins that are most closely related to those encoded by RNA viruses in the family The apparent chimeric nature of the two core proteins encoded by crucivirus genomes suggests horizontal gene transfer of capsid genes between DNA and RNA viruses. Here, we identified and characterized 451 new crucivirus genomes and 10 capsid-encoding circular genetic elements through assembly and mining of metagenomic data.

Premature feather loss among common tern chicks in Ontario: the return of an enigmatic developmental anomaly.

In July 2014, we observed premature feather loss (PFL) among non-sibling, common tern Sterna hirundo chicks between two and four weeks of age at Gull Island in northern Lake Ontario, Canada. Rarely observed in wild birds, to our knowledge PFL has not been recorded in terns since 1974, despite the subsequent banding of hundreds of thousands of tern chicks across North America alone. The prevalence, 5% of chicks (9/167), and extent of feather loss we report is more extreme than in previous reports for common terns but was not accompanied by other aberrant developmental or physical deformities.

Energetic constraint of non-monotonic mass change during offspring growth: a general hypothesis and application of a new tool.

Post-natal growth is an important life-history trait and can be a sensitive indicator of ecological stress. For over 50 years, monotonic (never-decreasing) growth has been viewed as the predominant trajectory of post-natal mass change in most animal species, notably among birds. However, prevailing analytical approaches and energetic constraints may limit detection of non-monotonic (or multiphasic), determinate growth patterns, such as mass recession in birds (weight loss prior to fledging, preceded by overshooting adult mass), which is currently believed to be restricted to few taxa.

Are morphometrics sufficient for estimating age of pre-fledging birds in the field? A test using common terns (Sterna hirundo).

Age is a key component of fitness, affecting survival and reproductive capacities. Where it is not possible to study known individuals from birth, morphometrics (predominantly patterns of plumage development for birds) are most often used to estimate age. Although criteria for age estimations exist for many species, the degree to which these criteria improve the precision of estimates remains to be tested, restricting their widespread acceptance.

Signals from the brainstem sleep/wake centers regulate behavioral timing via the circadian clock.

Sleep-wake cycling is controlled by the complex interplay between two brain systems, one which controls vigilance state, regulating the transition between sleep and wake, and the other circadian, which communicates time-of-day. Together, they align sleep appropriately with energetic need and the day-night cycle. Neural circuits connect brain stem sites that regulate vigilance state with the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the master circadian clock, but the function of these connections has been unknown.

Direct impacts of climatic warming on heat stress in endothermic species: seabirds as bioindicators of changing thermoregulatory constraints.

There is now abundant evidence that contemporary climatic change has indirectly affected a wide-range of species by changing trophic interactions, competition, epidemiology and habitat. However, direct physiological impacts of changing climates are rarely reported for endothermic species, despite being commonly reported for ectotherms. We review the evidence for changing physiological constraints on endothermic vertebrates at high temperatures, integrating theoretical and empirical perspectives on the morphology, physiology and behavior of marine birds.

Evaluating the potential effectiveness of compensatory mitigation strategies for marine bycatch.

Conservationists are continually seeking new strategies to reverse population declines and safeguard against species extinctions. Here we evaluate the potential efficacy of a recently proposed approach to offset a major anthropogenic threat to many marine vertebrates: incidental bycatch in commercial fisheries operations. This new approach, compensatory mitigation for marine bycatch (CMMB), is conceived as a way to replace or reduce mandated restrictions on fishing activities with compensatory activities (e.

Albatross populations in peril: a population trajectory for black-browed albatrosses at south Georgia.

Simulation modeling was used to reconstruct Black-browed Albatross (Diomedea melanophris) population trends. Close approximations to observed data were accomplished by annually varying survival rates, reproductive success, and probabilities of returning to breed given success in previous years. The temporal shift in annual values coincided with the start of longline fishing at South Georgia and potential changes in krill abundance.

Cellular sublocalization of Cx43 and the establishment of functional coupling in IMR-32 neuroblastoma cells.

Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common solid pediatric tumor. IMR-32 cells are a highly malignant human NB cell line with uncontrolled proliferation but with the potential to be differentiated under specific conditions. Preliminary research indicated that connexin 43 (Cx43), the most widespread of the Cx family, is aberrantly located in IMR-32 cells, which renders these cells incapable of gap junction (GJ) intercellular communication.