Effect of perches on morphology, welfare and behaviour of captive reared pheasants

This study investigated the effect of providing elevated perches in growing pens on the morphology and behaviour of young pheasants. Pheasants reared with perches from one week old were observed roosting off the ground significantly more frequently when moved into a pen containing trees at five weeks old than pheasants reared without perches (roosting pheasants: 24.3% vs. 6.7%; p < .01). The presence of perches reduced the level of plumage damage caused by feather pecking (damage scores: 2.3% vs. 2.1%; p < .05). Pheasants reared in huts with perching were larger overall than those from control huts, in particular were heavier (weights: 356.9 g vs. 345.2 g) and had longer and thicker tarsi than control pheasants (60.61 mm vs. 59.35 mm and 4.715–6.571 mm vs. 4.705–6.412 mm, respectively). Since roosting on tree branches is an important anti-predator behaviour, providing perches at an early stage of life in the captive rearing environment may be helpful in order to improve survival of the captive reared pheasant after release in the wild. Furthermore, the study suggests that a simple and easy husbandry technique, providing elevated perches, may improve the welfare and fitness of farm-reared game birds

Rigidity and compactness with constant mean curvature in warped product manifolds

We prove the rigidity of rectifiable boundaries with constant distributional mean curvature in the Brendle class of warped product manifolds (which includes important models in General Relativity, like the deSitter--Schwarzschild and Reissner--Nordstrom manifolds). As a corollary we characterize limits of rectifiable boundaries whose mean curvatures converge, as distributions, to a constant. The latter result is new, and requires the full strength of distributional CMC-rigidity, even when one considers smooth boundaries whose mean curvature oscillations vanish in arbitrarily strong $C^k$-norms.Comment: 42 pages; added references [LX19,SX22] and, correspondingly, subsection 1.5 has been slightly expande

Winter habitat selection by the European hare (Lepus europaeus) during feeding activity in a farmland area of southern Tuscany (Italy)

We investigated the winter habitat use by the European hare (Lepus europaeus) at the macro-habitat level in a farmland area of southern Tuscany during feeding activity using spot-light counts. Olive tree groves, cereal stubbles and winter cereals were used more than their availability, whereas ploughed fields, alfalfa and fallow fields were used less than their availability. Olive tree groves were the most used, followed by cereal stubbles. Since approximately 50% of over-wintering cereal stubbles were the result of economic agreements between the hunting district and local farmers, the study confirms the importance of this kind of agro-environmental measure for hare conservation

Comment on “early efficacy of intra-articular HYADD® 4 (Hymovis®) injections for symptomatic knee osteoarthritis”

We read with great interest the study by Priano titled“Early efficacy of intra-articular HYADD® 4 (Hymovis®) injections for symptomatic knee osteoarthritis.” 1 The author would like to explore the efficacy of intra-articular HYADD 4 (Hymovis) injections for symptomatic knee osteoarthritis. Results from this study are very interesting and promising from a clinical aspect; however, we believe that studying patient’sclinical status with visual analog scale and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index scale should be supported by biomechanical information. From this point of view, to have more data that could influence the clinical practice, it is important to note the possible action that intraarticular injections of different kinds of hyaluronic acid could have on walking biomechanics using an objective measurement tool as gait analysis. In our opinion, the work by Priano1 is promising because it investigates the efficacy of a new formulation of hyaluronic acid. Nowadays, many hyaluronic acid formulations are approved for clinical use in Europe and the United States. Furthermore, hyaluronic acid injections’ efficacy has been demonstrated also in hip osteoarthritis. 2 However, even if these formulations differ in their chemical– physical properties, joint space half-life, rheological properties, and clinical efficacy, there are few studies that investigate hyaluronic acid’s possible action from a biomechanical point of view. 3,4 From this point of view, we believe that osteoarthritis management and rehabilitation should be prescribed after an objective analysis of functional walking alterations using gait analysis instrumentations. The use of gait analysis should be desirable during diagnosis and follow-up. In fact, it is capable to identify different walking patterns in patient with osteoarthritis of the lower limbs, whereas the radiology can evaluate the status of the joint’s structures

L'allevamento semi-naturale della lepre europea (Lepus europaeus)

Il progetto, ha riguardato l’analisi e la messa a punto di tecniche idonee alla produzione di lepri da destinare al ripopolamento. In particolare sono stati monitorati 25 recinti di allevamento semi-naturale per tre anni consecutivi (superficie media 3,4 ha, D.S. 1,3). In ciascun recinto venivano immessi nel mese di gennaio 5 lepri di cattura locale (3 femmine e 2 maschi). Le catture avvenivano nel periodo ottobre-dicembre. Complessivamente nel periodo studiato sono state prodotte 675 lepri. L’esperienza ha mostrato che è possibile produrre in questo modo lepri idonee a corrette operazioni di ripopolamento e ricostituzione di popolazioni selvatiche, ma che ciò dipende essenzialmente dalle caratteristiche ambientali e dalla gestione dei recinti stessi. I migliori risultati si ottengono nei recinti coltivati in modo vario e con essenze e miscugli specifici. In modo particolare i prati polifiti sembrano influire positivamente sulla produttività dei recinti. Inoltre la produzione di lepre è favorita dalla presenza di terreni sciolti e ben drenati, mentre è limitata nelle aree argillose. Anche una eccessiva presenza di boschi è risultato un fattore negativo. Si è inoltre constatato che è preferibile catturare gli animali in ottobre, in quanto nei mesi successivi, soprattutto a seguito di fenomeni di piovosità intensa, si possono registrare fenomeni di mortalità anche consistenti dovuti prevalenetmente a malattie virali (E.B.H.S.

Relationship between Anti-European Brown Hare Syndrome Serological Titers and Brown Hare (Lepus europaeus Pallas) Densities

Thirty-three protected wild game reproduction areas, located in the province of Florence (Central Italy), were monitored for habitat characteristics and hare census over a period of 2 years. A total of 172 hares was captured, checked for sex, and age, and blood samples were taken. Serum samples were analyzed by competitive ELISA test for detection and titration of anti-European brown hare syndrome virus (EBHSV) antibodies. Results showed that EBHSV seropositive hares from areas with high and medium population densities had higher antibody titers than those coming from low-density areas and that adults showed lower values than young animals. Anti-EBHSV antibody levels were inversely related to the distances between protected areas and private hunting areas while a high density of protected areas was not associated with any similarity in the values or prevalence of EBHSV

The Correlation between RAS and COVID-19, Short Review of the Latest Evidence

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Niche overlap of mountain hare subspecies and the vulnerability of their ranges to invasion by the European hare; the (bad) luck of the Irish

Niche conservatism is the tendency of related species to retain ancestral tolerances after geographic separation. We used Ecological Niche Modelling and Principal Components Analysis of bioclimatic and habitat variables to describe the extent of the species niche, and degrees of bioclimatic\u2013habitat niche conservatism within the mountain hare (L. timidus) clade. Mountain hare niche space was contrasted with that of the European hare (L. europaeus), to shed light on species interactions in contact zones throughout Europe. All five subspecies of mountain hare had quantifiably distinct niches. Fennoscandian (L.t. sylvaticus, L.t. timidus) and highland (L.t. scoticus, L.t. varronis) subspecies, however, were most similar, exhibiting greatest apparent niche conservatism. They inhabit tundra, boreal forest and uplands, and, hence are presumed most similar to the ancestral form. The Irish hare was distinct, being consistently distinguished from other mountain hares in both 2D and nth dimensional (4D) niche space. The ecological distinctiveness of the Irish hare provides further evidence that it is an Evolutionarily Significant Unit, particularly vulnerable to displacement by introduced European hares with which it competes and hybridises. Projections under global climate change suggest that, by 2070, bioclimatic space for invasive European hares in Ireland will expand (by 79%) but contract for endemic Irish hares (by 75%), further facilitating their replacement. The near complete species replacement of the heath hare (L.t. sylvaticus) in southern Sweden, where the European hare has also been introduced, may suggest a similar fate may be in store for the Irish hare