A Four-Week Urban Diet Impairs Vasodilation but Not Nutritional Physiology in Wild-Caught Mourning Doves ().

AbstractBirds living in urban areas routinely consume anthropogenic foods, but the physiological consequences of this consumption are poorly understood. To address this question, we investigated the effects of an urban diet (UD) in wild, urban-caught mourning doves in a controlled environment. Since anthropogenic foods often contain a high proportion of refined carbohydrate and fat, we predicted that UD consumption alters body mass as well as plasma and tissue metabolites and that it impairs vasodilation.

Behavioral and Physical Development of Captive-Born Eastern Black Rhinoceros () Calves.

The birth of two eastern black rhinoceros () calves (0.2) at the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines, IA offered an opportunity to collect normative data for the first six months of calf development. Both calves successfully stood within 76 minutes of birth.

An evolutionary mismatch narrative to improve lifestyle medicine: a patient education hypothesis.

An evolutionary perspective provides a unifying explanation for the modifiable risk factors and lifestyle-based interventions for the leading causes of morbidity and mortality globally. Non-communicable diseases develop from an evolutionary mismatch between the prior environment and modern patterns of behavior; however, it is unclear whether an evolutionary mismatch narrative could promote positive behavior change in patients. We hypothesize that educating patients about evolutionary mismatch could augment efforts to improve healthful behavior.

Dental trauma simulation training using a novel 3D printed tooth model.

Background/aim: Opportunities for dental students to obtain experience in the management of traumatic dental injuries are limited, and most encounter their first trauma patient after graduation. Recognizing this need, the aim of this study was to investigate dental students' experiences of a workshop using a 3D printed tooth. The hypothesis was that the simulation experience with the aid of a 3D printed tooth would enhance their learning experience.

A Mouse Model of Fatigue Induced by Peripheral Irradiation.

Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a distressing and costly condition that often affects patients receiving cancer treatments, including radiation therapy. Here we describe a method using targeted peripheral irradiation to induce fatigue-like behavior in mice. With appropriate shielding, the irradiation targets the lower abdominal/pelvic region of the mouse, sparing the brain, in an effort to model radiation treatment received by individuals with pelvic cancers.

A murine model of peripheral irradiation-induced fatigue.

Purpose: Fatigue is the most ubiquitous side effect of cancer treatment, but its etiology remains elusive. Further investigations into cancer-related fatigue pathobiology necessitate the expanded use of animal models. This study describes the development of a murine model of radiation-induced fatigue.

Spatial correlations and optical properties in three-dimensional deterministic aperiodic structures.

Photonic systems have strongly varying optical properties depending on the spatial correlations present in a given realization. In photonic crystals the correlations are spatially periodic forming Bravais lattices whereas the building blocks of an amorphous medium are randomly distributed without any long-range order. In this manuscript we study the optical properties of so-called deterministic aperiodic structures which fill the gap between the aforementioned two limiting cases.

Active aberration- and point-spread-function control in direct laser writing.

We control the point-spread-function of high numerical aperture objectives used for direct laser writing with a spatial light modulator. Combining aberration correction with different types of amplitude filters to reduce the aspect ratio of the point-spread-function enhances the structural and optical quality of woodpile photonic crystals. Here, aberration correction is crucial to ensure the functionality of the filters.

Hierarchical nanoparticle bragg mirrors: tandem and gradient architectures.

To manipulate electrons in semiconductor electronic and optical devices, the usual approach is through materials composition, electronic bandgap, doping, and interface engineering. More advanced strategies for handling electrons in semiconductor devices include composition-controlled heterostructures and gradient structures. By analogy to the manipulation of electrons in semiconductor crystals by electronic bandgaps, photons in photonic crystals can be managed using photonic bandgaps.

Characterization of progressive keratitis in otariids.

Objective: To characterize a form of progressive keratitis that occurs commonly in otariids.

Materials And Methods: One hundred and thirteen captive otariids were evaluated by ophthalmologic examination and digital photography.

Results: Forty-six females and 67 males were in the reference population, average age of 14 years.

Fetal echocardiographic evaluation of the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus).

In humans, fetal echocardiography represents the most important tool for the assessment of the cardiovascular well-being of the fetus. However, because of logistic, anatomic, and behavioral challenges, detailed fetal echocardiographic evaluation of marine mammals has not been previously described. Because the application of fetal echocardiography to cetaceans could have both clinical and academic importance, an approach to evaluating the fetal dolphin's cardiovascular status was developed with conventional, fetal echocardiographic techniques developed in humans.

Risk factors associated with cataracts and lens luxations in captive pinnipeds in the United States and the Bahamas.

Objective: To determine risk factors for lens luxation and cataracts in captive pinnipeds in the United States and the Bahamas.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Animals: 111 pinnipeds (99 California sea lions [Zalophus californianus], 10 harbor seals [Phoca vitulina], and 2 walruses [Odobenus rosmarus]) from 9 facilities.

Challenges to global green job growth.

The authors recognize that green is a relative term and that what's green today may be decidedly not green tomorrow. They developed the idea of "shades of green" to try to capture the differences between jobs and looked at where the green jobs currently are. They found that green jobs in renewables are likely to grow, but in other sectors green jobs face enormous challenges.

Sucrose access differentially modifies 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-1 and hexose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase message in liver and adipose tissue in rats.

11Beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-1 (11beta-HSD-1) plays a key role in the regulation of intracellular glucocorticoid concentrations. Increased message and/or activity of adipose 11beta-HSD-1 are characteristics of human and animal models of obesity. Hexose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (H6PDH) is colocalized with 11beta-HSD-1 and may be a critical factor in determining the oxo-reductase activity of 11beta-HSD-1.

Echocardiographic evaluation of the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus).

Safe and effective echocardiography would represent a valuable tool for marine mammal veterinarians and physiologists evaluating the dolphin heart. Unfortunately, conventional ultrasound technology (transthoracic echocardiography) has been limited by logistic, anatomic, and behavioral challenges. Five mature male Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) were trained for echocardiographic imaging (four for both transthoracic and transesophageal imaging, and one for only transthoracic imaging).

Behavioral decisions for managing social distance and aggression in captive polar bears (Ursus maritimus).

The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) in most zoos attracts high levels of public attention and can play an important role in conservation education. Polar bears in the wild are typically solitary; bears in captivity often house socially. This study reported behavioral evidence on how bears manage this situation and whether proximity leads to aggression.

Environmental enrichment for the captive spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus).

As part a series of investigations of environmental enrichment methods for zoo animals, two spectacled bears (Tremarctos ornatus) were observed for 40 h, documenting use of cage space and behaviors, using a detailed ethogram. Baseline data showed concentration of activity into limited areas of the enclosure and expression of a relatively restricted subset of the species' behavioral repertoire. Introduction of a climbing structure resulted in increased behavioral diversity, both in the use of the enclosure's physical space and the behaviors displayed in various parts of the enclosure.