Autumn and Winter Movements and Sexual Segregation of Willow Ptarmigan

Ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus alexandrae) in northern British Columbia leave their breeding areas during autumn and winter. The movements differ between males and females. In this study I examine the causes and extent of these differences. Ptarmigan did not leave their breeding grounds immediately after the breeding season, but remained on or near their territories until December. After chicks fledged, part of the population moved uphill from their territories. Coincident with moult into winter plumage, ptarmigan moved farther from their territories. Both movements were probably to areas with better protection against predators. After moulting, all tagged males and half of the tagged females returned to their territories, and males resumed territorial display. Ptarmigan remained on their territories until increasing snow cover depleted cover, forcing them to leave. Males left the breeding grounds later than females and returned earlier in spring. In winter females moved farther than males, supporting the reproductive strategy hypothesis, but segregation was not complete. Sexual segregation may not be related to migration alone, but could occur at any time ptarmigan are in flocks.Key words: willow ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus alexandrue), autumn territoriality, winter movements, sexual segregation, northern British ColumbiaLe lagopède des saules (Lagopus lagopus alexandrae) de la Colombie-Britannique septentrionale quitte son aire de nidification durant l'automne et l'hiver. Les déplacements du mâle diffèrent de ceux de la femelle. Ces recherches portent sur le degré et les causes de cette différence. On a trouvé que le lagopède ne quitte pas son aire de nidification immédiatement après la saison nidificatrice. Il reste sur son territoire ou à proximité jusqu'au mois de décembre. Après que les jeunes se sont emplumés, une partie de la population migre vers un territoire plus élevé. En même temps qu'il revêt son plumage d'hiver, le lagopède s'éloigne de son territoire. Ces deux mouvements se font probablement en direction d'aires offrant une meilleure protection contre les prédateurs. Après la mue, tous les mâles marqués et la moitié des femelles marquées reviennent sur leur territoire et les mâles reprennent leur comportement territorial. Le lagopède reste sur son territoire jusqu'à ce que l'accumulation de neige cache le couvert, ce qui le force à partir. Le mâle quitte son aire de reproduction après la femelle et y revient avant elle au printemps. En hiver, la femelle s'éloigne plus loin que le mâle, ce qui appuie l'hypothèse de la stratégie reproductive, mais la ségrégation n'est pas totale. Il se peut que la ségrégation sexuelle ne soit pas reliée uniquement à la migration, mais qu'elle ait lieu chaque fois que le lagopède se retrouve dans une volée.Mots clés : lagopède des saules (Lagopus lagopus alexandrue), territorialité d’automne, déplacements hivernaux, ségrégation sexuelle, Colombie-Britannique septentrional

Immunological basis of differences in disease resistance in the chicken

Genetic resistance to diseases is a multigenic trait governed mainly by the immune system and its interactions with many physiologic and environmental factors. In the adaptive immunity, T cell and B cell responses, the specific recognition of antigens and interactions between antigen presenting cells, T cells and B cells are crucial. It occurs through a network of mediator proteins such as the molecules of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), T cell receptors, immunoglobulins and secreted proteins such as the cytokines and antibodies. The diversity of these proteins that mainly is due to an intrinsic polymorphism of the genes causes phenotypic variation in disease resistance. The well-known linkage of MHC polymorphism and Marek's disease resistance difference represents a classic model revealing immunological factors in resistance differences and diversity of mediator molecules. The molecular bases in any resistance variation to infectious pathogens are vaguely understood. This paper presents a review of the major immune mediators involved in resistance and susceptibility to infectious diseases and their functional mechanisms in the chicken. The genetic interaction of disease resistance with production traits and the environment is mentioned

Reporting Risk, Producing Prejudice How News Reporting on Obesity Shapes Attitudes about Health Risk, Policy, and Prejudice

News reporting on research studies may influence attitudes about health risk, support for public health policies, or attitudes towards people labeled as unhealthy or at risk for disease. Across five experiments (N = 2123) we examined how different news framings of obesity research influence these attitudes. We exposed participants to either a control condition, a news report on a study portraying obesity as a public health crisis, a news report on a study suggesting that obesity may not be as much of a problem as previously thought, or an article discussing weight-based discrimination. Compared to controls, exposure to the public health crisis article did not increase perception of obesity-related health risks but did significantly increase the expression of antifat prejudice in four out of seven comparisons. Across studies, compared to controls, participants who read an article about weight-based discrimination were less likely to agree that overweight constitutes a public health crisis or to support various obesity policies. Effects of exposure to an article questioning the health risks associated with overweight and obesity were mixed. These findings suggest that news reports on the obesity epidemic and, by extension, on public health crises commonly blamed on personal behavior may unintentionally activate prejudice

Optimal combinations of acute phase proteins for detecting infectious disease in pigs

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Comparative proteomic profiling of the serum differentiates pancreatic cancer from chronic pancreatitis

Finland ranks sixth among the countries having highest incidence rate of pancreatic cancer with mortality roughly equaling incidence. The average age of diagnosis for pancreatic cancer is 69years in Nordic males, whereas the average age of diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis is 40-50years, however, many cases overlap in age. By radiology, the evaluation of a pancreatic mass, that is, the differential diagnosis between chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer is often difficult. Preoperative needle biopsies are difficult to obtain and are demanding to interpret. New blood based biomarkers are needed. The accuracy of the only established biomarker for pancreatic cancer, CA 19-9 is rather poor in differentiating between benign and malignant mass of the pancreas. In this study, we have performed mass spectrometry analysis (High Definition MSE) of serum samples from patients with chronic pancreatitis (13) and pancreatic cancer (22). We have quantified 291 proteins and performed detailed statistical analysis such as principal component analysis, orthogonal partial least square discriminant analysis and receiver operating curve analysis. The proteomic signature of chronic pancreatitis versus pancreatic cancer samples was able to separate the two groups by multiple statistical techniques. Some of the enriched pathways in the proteomic dataset were LXR/RXR activation, complement and coagulation systems and inflammatory response. We propose that multiple high-confidence biomarker candidates in our pilot study including Inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor heavy chain H2 (Area under the curve, AUC: 0.947), protein AMBP (AUC: 0.951) and prothrombin (AUC: 0.917), which should be further evaluated in larger patient series as potential new biomarkers for differential diagnosis.Peer reviewe