Key questions in marine mammal bioenergetics.

Bioenergetic approaches are increasingly used to understand how marine mammal populations could be affected by a changing and disturbed aquatic environment. There remain considerable gaps in our knowledge of marine mammal bioenergetics, which hinder the application of bioenergetic studies to inform policy decisions. We conducted a priority-setting exercise to identify high-priority unanswered questions in marine mammal bioenergetics, with an emphasis on questions relevant to conservation and management.

Risk factors for poor health outcomes for male dairy calves undergoing transportation in western Canada.

The condition of 640 male dairy calves was recorded and their health deterioration, morbidity, and mortality evaluated after long-distance transport. Assessments included a health examination, weight estimation, and measure of failed transfer of passive immunity (FTPI). A McNemar Test and logistic regression analysis were used to evaluate the effects of pre-transport condition on subsequent health.

Short communication: Condition of male dairy calves at auction markets.

Male dairy calves in North America are frequently marketed through live auctions. Calves have been observed in suboptimal condition both at auctions and upon arrival at calf-rearing facilities that supply the veal or dairy-beef industries. The objectives of this study were to describe the health of male dairy calves at a commercial auction in British Columbia, Canada, examine the relationships between calf price and condition, and use price data from other auctions to reflect more broadly on the variability in calf condition at auction markets.

Chemical, Bioactivity, and Biosynthetic Screening of Epiphytic Fungus .

We report the first secondary metabolite, 8,8'-bijuglone, obtained from pure cultures of the slow growing Douglas fir- ( var. ) foliage-associated fungus . The quinone was characterized using extensive LC/MS and NMR-based spectroscopic methods.

Mixed company: a framework for understanding the composition and organization of mixed-species animal groups.

Mixed-species animal groups (MSGs) are widely acknowledged to increase predator avoidance and foraging efficiency, among other benefits, and thereby increase participants' fitness. Diversity in MSG composition ranges from two to 70 species of very similar or completely different phenotypes. Yet consistency in organization is also observable in that one or a few species usually have disproportionate importance for MSG formation and/or maintenance.

An experimental limit on the charge of antihydrogen.

The properties of antihydrogen are expected to be identical to those of hydrogen, and any differences would constitute a profound challenge to the fundamental theories of physics. The most commonly discussed antiatom-based tests of these theories are searches for antihydrogen-hydrogen spectral differences (tests of CPT (charge-parity-time) invariance) or gravitational differences (tests of the weak equivalence principle). Here we, the ALPHA Collaboration, report a different and somewhat unusual test of CPT and of quantum anomaly cancellation.

Surgical site infections in infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit.

Background: Surgical interventions are common in infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Despite our awareness of the broad impact of surgical site infection (SSI), there are little data in neonates. Our objective was to determine the rate and clinical impact of SSI in infants admitted to the NICU.

Too much thinking about thinking?: Metacognitive differences in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Negative appraisals of intrusive thoughts and beliefs about the importance of thoughts are considered core mechanisms in cognitive models of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In refinements of cognitive theory, differences in metacognitive processes have been emphasized. Cartwright-Hatton and Wells [J.

Paclitaxel loaded poly(L-lactic acid) microspheres: properties of microspheres made with low molecular weight polymers.

Microspheres were prepared from poly(L-lactic acid) polymers having molecular weights between 500 and 50k g/mol. The polymers were synthesized using two initiator molecules, L-lactic acid oligomer (PLLA-LA) or stearyl alcohol (PLLA-SA). For both PLLA-LA and PLLA-SA polymers, glass (Tg) and melting (Tm) transition temperatures and enthalpy of melting all increased as the polymer molecular weight increased.