A Preliminary Description of Companion Cat, Managed Stray Cat, and Unmanaged Stray Cat Welfare in Auckland, New Zealand Using a 5-Component Assessment Scale

Free-roaming cats are a polarizing issue in New Zealand and there is strong need for a comprehensive evaluation of their welfare to better inform population management decisions. In this study, a 5-component visual health-related welfare assessment scale was developed and piloted on a convenience sample of 213 free-roaming companion cats (CC), 210 managed stray cats (MS), and 253 unmanaged stray cats (UMS) from various locations in Auckland, New Zealand. The welfare assessment was performed through distance observation and consisted of body condition score (BCS); coat condition score; nose and eye discharge score; ear crusting score; and injury score. The majority of cats in all groups appeared generally healthy with no nose or eye discharge, ear crusting, or injuries. Although there were no appreciable differences in the apparent welfare of CC and MS cats, future studies with more robust sampling designs are needed to draw accurate inferences. The scale also requires further validation by comparing the visual observations against more detailed physical examination and biochemical data. Nonetheless, the results from this study provide preliminary information about assessing the health and welfare of stray cats as well as considerations for developing and implementing robust assessment scales

Relationship Between Changes in Upper Body Fat-Free Mass and Bench Press Performance in American Football Players

Horizontal pushing strength and strength endurance are relevant attributes for blocking and block shedding in American football. Since most positions in American football require the ability to either block or shed a block, and since bench press repetitions to failure (RTF) with 225 pounds is a component of the NFL draft combine, improving horizontal pushing strength and strength endurance have been key areas of emphasis for strength and conditioning coaches working with these athletes. PURPOSE: The purpose of this analysis was to quantify the relationship between changes in upper body fat-free mass (FFM) and metrics of bench press performance in American football players. METHODS: Body composition and muscular performance were assessed in NCAA Division III American football players. Upper body FFM was obtained from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA; Hologic Horizon) before and after a seven-week offseason training period. Barbell bench press one-repetition maximum (1RM), incline barbell bench press 1RM, and RTF with 225 pounds on the barbell bench press were also determined before and after the training period. Using Spearman’s rank correlations, the relationships between percent changes in upper body FFM and bench press 1RM (n=19), bench press RTF with 225 pounds (n=15), and incline bench press 1RM (n=18) were evaluated. RESULTS: Relative changes in bench press 1RM and DXA upper body FFM exhibited a weak, non-significant correlation (ρ: 0.38, p: 0.11). However, there was a moderate strength, significant correlation between relative changes in bench press RTF with 225 pounds and DXA upper body FFM (ρ: 0.53, p: 0.04). For relative changes in incline bench press 1RM, there was a weak, non-significant correlation with DXA upper body FFM (ρ: 0.24, p: 0.36). CONCLUSION: Of the performance tests assessed, only changes in bench press RTF with 225 pounds and changes in DXA upper body FFM were positively correlated. Therefore, strength and conditioning coaches working with athletes who plan on entering the NFL draft may want to consider dedicating time to increasing upper body FFM gains prior to the draft as it appears to be positively correlated with performance on this NFL combine test

Associations of Changes in Body Composition and Athletic Performance in Collegiate American Football Players

Football practitioners ubiquitously employ offseason resistance training to improve on-field performance. Early offseason training is frequently designed to emphasize accretion of lean and total body mass. While this is a main objective of sport-specific conditioning, there are few investigations comparing correlated changes in body composition, maximal strength, and football-specific performance tests after an early-offseason training program. PURPOSE: The purpose of this analysis was to quantify the relationship between changes in athletic performance and body composition in collegiate American football players. METHODS: Before and after a 7-week offseason training program, body composition and athletic performance were assessed in NCAA Division III American football players. Body composition was estimated using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA; Hologic Horizon). One-repetition maximum (1RM) strength was assessed for the barbell back squat and front squat exercises. Vertical jump height, 40-yard dash time, broad jump distance, and pro agility shuffle time were also assessed. The sample size ranged from 17 to 19, depending on the specific performance test. Using Pearson’s product-moment correlations, the relationships between percent changes in DXA variables and athletic performance outcomes were examined.RESULTS: A trend for a positive correlation between changes in lower body FFM and front squat 1RM (r: 0.43, p: 0.08), but not back squat 1RM (r: -0.03, p: 0.92), was observed. Additionally, a significant positive correlation was observed between pro agility shuffle time and DXA BM (r: 0.50, p: 0.03) and total FFM (r: 0.49, p: 0.04), but not FM (r: 0.06, p: 0.80). In contrast, no correlations between changes in body composition variables and changes in vertical jump height, 40-yard dash time, or broad jump height were observed (range of r: -0.36 to 0.31, p\u3e0.05 for all).CONCLUSION: Increases in FFM may predict improvements in front squat 1RM but impairments in pro agility shuffle performance, with no relationships observed for vertical jump height, 40-yard dash time or back squat. Additional phases of training that specialize in developing maximal power and velocity are likely necessary to maximize athletic development

Census of the Local Universe (CLU) Narrow-Band Survey I: Galaxy Catalogs from Preliminary Fields

We present the Census of the Local Universe (CLU) narrow-band survey to search for emission-line (\ha) galaxies. CLU-\ha~has imaged $\approx$3$\pi$ of the sky (26,470~deg$^2$) with 4 narrow-band filters that probe a distance out to 200~Mpc. We have obtained spectroscopic follow-up for galaxy candidates in 14 preliminary fields (101.6~deg$^2$) to characterize the limits and completeness of the survey. In these preliminary fields, CLU can identify emission lines down to an \ha~flux limit of $10^{-14}$~$\rm{erg~s^{-1}~cm^{-2}}$ at 90\% completeness, and recovers 83\% (67\%) of the \ha~flux from catalogued galaxies in our search volume at the $\Sigma$=2.5 ($\Sigma$=5) color excess levels. The contamination from galaxies with no emission lines is 61\% (12\%) for $\Sigma$=2.5 ($\Sigma$=5). Also, in the regions of overlap between our preliminary fields and previous emission-line surveys, we recover the majority of the galaxies found in previous surveys and identify an additional $\approx$300 galaxies. In total, we find 90 galaxies with no previous distance information, several of which are interesting objects: 7 blue compact dwarfs, 1 green pea, and a Seyfert galaxy; we also identified a known planetary nebula. These objects show that the CLU-\ha~survey can be a discovery machine for objects in our own Galaxy and extreme galaxies out to intermediate redshifts. However, the majority of the CLU-\ha~galaxies identified in this work show properties consistent with normal star-forming galaxies. CLU-\ha~galaxies with new redshifts will be added to existing galaxy catalogs to focus the search for the electromagnetic counterpart to gravitational wave events.Comment: 28 pages, 22 figures, 4 tables (Accepted to ApJ

Changes in immune cell populations in the periphery and liver of GBV-B-infected and convalescent tamarins (Saguinus labiatus)

AbstractFlaviviruses related to hepatitis C virus (HCV) in suitable animal models may provide further insight into the role that cellular immunity contributes to spontaneous clearance of HCV. We characterised changes in lymphocyte populations in tamarins with an acute GBV-B infection, a hepatitis virus of the flaviviridae. Major immune cell populations were monitored in peripheral and intra-hepatic lymphocytes at high viraemia or following a period when peripheral virus was no longer detected. Limited changes in major lymphocyte populations were apparent during high viraemia; however, the proportions of CD3+ lymphocytes decreased and CD20+ lymphocytes increased once peripheral viraemia became undetectable. Intrahepatic lymphocyte populations increased at both time points post-infection. Distinct expression patterns of PD-1, a marker of T-cell activation, were observed on peripheral and hepatic lymphocytes; notably there was elevated PD-1 expression on hepatic CD4+ T-cells during high viraemia, suggesting an activated phenotype, which decreased following clearance of peripheral viraemia. At times when peripheral vRNA was not detected, suggesting viral clearance, we were able to readily detect GBV-B RNA in the liver, indicative of long-term virus replication. This study is the first description of changes in lymphocyte populations during GBV-B infection of tamarins and provides a foundation for more detailed investigations of the responses that contribute to the control of GBV-B infection

Resolving \u3ci\u3eBovine viral diarrhea virus\u3c/i\u3e subtypes from persistently infected U.S. beef calves with complete genome sequence

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is classified into 2 genotypes, BVDV-1 and BVDV-2, each of which contains distinct subtypes with genetic and antigenic variation. To effectively control BVDV by vaccination, it is important to know which subtypes of the virus are circulating and how their prevalence is changing over time. Accordingly, the purpose of our study was to estimate the current prevalence and diversity of BVDV subtypes from persistently infected (PI) beef calves in the central United States. Phylogenetic analysis of the 5′-UTR (5′ untranslated region) for 119 virus strains revealed that a majority (82%) belonged to genotype 1b, and the remaining strains were distributed between genotypes 1a (9%) and 2 (8%); however, BVDV-2 subtypes could not be confidently resolved. Therefore, to better define the variability of U.S. BVDV isolates and further investigate the division of BVDV-2 isolates into subtypes, complete genome sequences were obtained for these isolates as well as representatives of BVDV-1a and -1b. Phylogenetic analyses of the complete coding sequence provided more conclusive genetic classification and revealed that U.S. BVDV-2 isolates belong to at least 3 distinct genetic groups that are statistically supported by both complete and individual coding gene analyses. These results show that a more complex set of BVDV-2 subtypes has been circulating in this region than was previously thought

Resolving \u3ci\u3eBovine viral diarrhea virus\u3c/i\u3e subtypes from persistently infected U.S. beef calves with complete genome sequence

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is classified into 2 genotypes, BVDV-1 and BVDV-2, each of which contains distinct subtypes with genetic and antigenic variation. To effectively control BVDV by vaccination, it is important to know which subtypes of the virus are circulating and how their prevalence is changing over time. Accordingly, the purpose of our study was to estimate the current prevalence and diversity of BVDV subtypes from persistently infected (PI) beef calves in the central United States. Phylogenetic analysis of the 5′-UTR (5′ untranslated region) for 119 virus strains revealed that a majority (82%) belonged to genotype 1b, and the remaining strains were distributed between genotypes 1a (9%) and 2 (8%); however, BVDV-2 subtypes could not be confidently resolved. Therefore, to better define the variability of U.S. BVDV isolates and further investigate the division of BVDV-2 isolates into subtypes, complete genome sequences were obtained for these isolates as well as representatives of BVDV-1a and -1b. Phylogenetic analyses of the complete coding sequence provided more conclusive genetic classification and revealed that U.S. BVDV-2 isolates belong to at least 3 distinct genetic groups that are statistically supported by both complete and individual coding gene analyses. These results show that a more complex set of BVDV-2 subtypes has been circulating in this region than was previously thought

Pop-up archival tags reveal environmental influences on the vertical movements of silvertip sharks (Carcharhinus albimarginatus)

Vertical space use informs the ecology and management of marine species, but studies of reef-associated sharks often focus on horizontal movements. We analysed the vertical movements of silvertip sharks (Carcharhinus albimarginatus) using pop-up archival tags deployed on seven individuals in the Chagos Archipelago, central Indian Ocean. The sharks changed depth predictably with water column thermal structure, moving deeper with seasonal increases in mixed layer depth while occupying a narrow ambient water temperature range around ~27°C. At shorter timescales, higher resolution data from five tags showed that silvertip shark depth varied cyclically with surface light levels, increasing during daylight and on nights around full moon. This matches the diel vertical migrations of many fish species, suggesting the sharks’ light-driven depth changes might relate to foraging. While most vertical movements (>98%) were within the mixed layer, deeper dives to 200-800 m occurred approximately every three days. High-resolution data from one recovered tag showed the shark ascending deep (>200 m) dives in two sharply defined phases, initially fast then slow. Analysis of dive profiles against dissolved oxygen (DO) data suggested that the shark may have ascended rapidly to escape low DO levels at depth, then reduced its ascent rate 50-80% once DO levels increased. While a small sample, the electronic tags deployed in this study revealed the silvertip sharks’ predictable use of mixed layer waters, narrow thermal range and apparent intolerance of hypoxic conditions. These characteristics may exacerbate the species’ vulnerability as oceanic warming and shoaling oxygen minimum zones modify vertical habitat availability

Radial Star Formation Histories in 32 Nearby Galaxies

The spatially resolved star formation histories are studied for 32 normal star-forming galaxies drawn from the the Spitzer Extended Disk Galaxy Exploration Science survey. At surface brightness sensitivities fainter than 28 mag arcsec$^{-2}$, the new optical photometry is deep enough to complement archival ultraviolet and infrared imaging and to explore the properties of the emission well beyond the traditional optical extents of these nearby galaxies. Fits to the spectral energy distributions using a delayed star formation history model indicate a subtle but interesting average radial trend for the spiral galaxies: the inner stellar systems decrease in age with increasing radius, consistent with inside-out disk formation, but the trend reverses in the outermost regions with the stellar age nearly as old as the innermost stars. These results suggest an old stellar outer disk population formed through radial migration and/or the cumulative history of minor mergers and accretions of satellite dwarf galaxies. The subset of S0 galaxies studied here show the opposite trend compared to what is inferred for spirals: characteristic stellar ages that are increasingly older with radius for the inner portions of the galaxies, and increasingly younger stellar ages for the outer portions. This result suggests that either S0 galaxies are not well modeled by a delayed-$\tau$ model, and/or that S0 galaxies have a more complicated formation history than spiral galaxies.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1511.0328

Objectively-assessed physical activity and weight change in young adults: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract Background Reductions in physical activity (PA) are common throughout young adulthood and low PA is associated with weight gain. The SNAP Trial previously reported that two self-regulation approaches to weight gain prevention reduced weight gain over a 2-year period in 18–35 year olds. Presented here are secondary analyses examining changes in PA and the relationship between PA and weight change over 2 years. Methods 599 young adults (age: 27.4 ± 4.4 yrs.; BMI: 25.4 ± 2.6 kg/m2) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatment arms: Small Changes (reduce calorie intake by 100 kcals/day & add 2000 steps/day), Large Changes (lose 2.3–4.5 kg initially & increase PA to ≥250 min/wk), or Self-guided (control condition). Small and Large Changes received 10, face-to-face group sessions (months 1–4), and two 4-week refresher courses each subsequent year. Body weight and PA were objectively-measured at baseline, 4 months, 1 and 2 years. Daily steps and bout-related moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA (MVPA: ≥3 METs, ≥10-min bouts) was calculated. Results Changes in bout-related MVPA and daily steps did not differ among treatment groups over the 2-year period (p’s > 0.16). Collapsed across groups, participants gaining >1 lb. (n = 187; 39.6%) had smaller changes in bout-related MVPA at 4 months, 1 and 2 years relative to those maintaining or losing weight (≤1 lb. weight gain; n = 282, 60.4%, p’s 1 lb. did not differ on daily steps (p’s > 0.10). Among participants engaging in ≥250 min/wk. of MVPA at 2 years (n = 181), 30% gained >1 lb. from baseline to 2 years, which was not different from those engaging in 150–250 min/wk. (n = 87; 36%; p = 0.40), but this percentage was significantly lower when compared to those engaging in 150 min/week of MVPA is needed for weight gain prevention and that increasing MVPA, rather than steps, should be targeted. Trial registration www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01183689). Registered Aug 13, 2010