Electrodeposited lead dioxide coatings

Lead dioxide coatings on inert substrates such as titanium and carbon now offer new opportunities for a material known for 150 years. It is now recognised that electrodeposition allows the preparation of stable coatings with different phase structures and a wide range of surface morphologies. In addition, substantial modification to the physical properties and catalytic activities of the coatings are possible through doping and the fabrication of nanostructured deposits or composites. In addition to applications as a cheap anode material in electrochemical technology, lead dioxide coatings provide unique possibilities for probing the dependence of catalytic activity on layer composition and structure (critical review, 256 references)

Lines on a map: conservation units, meta-population dynamics, and recovery of woodland caribou in Canada

Delineating conservation units is a fundamental step in recovery planning for endangered species. Yet, challenges remain in the application and validation of scientifically evaluated conservation units in management practice. The Canadian government makes use of Designatable Units (DUs) as the primary conservation unit under their Species‐at‐Risk Act. DUs must be ecologically discrete and have demonstrated evolutionary significance, which, in the case of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou), has led to the definition of multiple DUs across Canada. Simultaneously, Environment and Climate Change Canada has released two recovery strategies affecting four DUs, wherein DUs are subdivided into smaller conservation units. However, the two recovery strategies adopt different definitions for the conservation unit. For the Boreal DU, the Local Population is considered the conservation unit for recovery management, whereas for Southern Mountain DU, the conservation unit for recovery is the subpopulation, which may or may not be comprised of several Local Populations. The scientific rationale for the difference between recovery strategies is unclear, not necessarily supported by genetic or demographic evidence, and highlights a policy challenge facing caribou conservation. We argue that the current emphasis on protecting subpopulations within a DU might be inconsistent and unviable for recovery planning. Instead, the recognition and emphasis on maintaining meta‐population dynamics within DUs is essential and currently underutilized in the long‐term recovery of woodland caribou in Canada

Incorporating geographic context into coyote and wolf livestock depredation research

Applying research results to new locations and situations can be confounded by differences in the geographic context between the original and the applied study sites. Replication studies and meta-analyses may be similarly hindered. We investigated how often canid management research reports (e.g., journal articles, conference proceedings) included information on historical/current lethal control, alternative prey availability, landscape features, and seasonal and settlement characteristics. We included experimental research published between 1970 and 2018, focusing on livestock depredations by wolves and coyotes in North America. Reporting on contextual factors was highly variable; seasonal context was included in 83% of research findings; human settlement characteristics were reported in only 8%. Contextual information was more common in journal versus grey literature, and in reports with academic versus government-affiliated primary authors. Discussions of the effects of contextual factors on livestock depredation mitigation strategies were underdeveloped. Yet, geographic context of research is vital; it can alter animal behaviour and reduce the efficacy of applied mitigation. We suggest reporting guidelines to improve comparisons and meta-analysis opportunities, which may enhance comparisons and management decision making

A comparison of canid depredation research published in journal and gray literature

We evaluated whether coyote and wolf depredation management research in peer-reviewed journals differed from research in gray literature (e.g., conference proceedings, research reports). Regression analysis showed that journal published research was more likely to have used statistical analyses and have authors with academic affiliations. These results show that reliance on one literature type may lead to management and research decisions based on partial information. Focusing on journal literature may reduce the likelihood of encountering descriptive (i.e., non-statistical) analyses that could inform management and illuminate future avenues of research. For instance, half of the 76 descriptive experimental research findings we located, including 10 controlled experiments, were found only in gray literature documents. Our results highlight that canid depredation managers and researchers should utilize both journal and gray literature

A review on invasions by parasites with complex life cycles: The European strain of Echinococcus multilocularis in North America as a model

In a fast-changing and globalized world, parasites are moved across continents at an increasing pace.Co-invasion of parasites and their hosts is leading to the emergence of infectious diseases at a global scale, underlining the need for integration of biological invasions and disease ecology research.In this review, the ecological and evolutionary factors influencing the invasion process of parasites with complex life cycles were analyzed, using the invasion of the European strain of Echinococcus multilocularis in North America as a model.The aim was to propose an ecological framework for investigating the invasion of parasites that are trophically transmitted through predator-prey interactions, showing how despite the complexity of the cycles and the interactions among multiple hosts, such parasites can overcome multiple barriers and become invasive Identifying the key ecological processes affecting the success of parasite invasions is an important step for risk assessment and development of management strategies, particularly for parasites with the potential to infect people (i.e.zoonotic)

Protection status, human disturbance, snow cover and trapping drive density of a declining wolverine population in the Canadian Rocky Mountains

Protected areas are important in species conservation, but high rates of human-caused mortality outside their borders and increasing popularity for recreation can negatively affect wildlife populations. We quantified wolverine (Gulo gulo) population trends from 2011 to 2020 in > 14,000 km2 protected and non-protected habitat in southwestern Canada. We conducted wolverine and multi-species surveys using non-invasive DNA and remote camera-based methods. We developed Bayesian integrated models combining spatial capture-recapture data of marked and unmarked individuals with occupancy data. Wolverine density and occupancy declined by 39%, with an annual population growth rate of 0.925. Density within protected areas was 3 times higher than outside and declined between 2011 (3.6 wolverines/1000 km2) and 2020 (2.1 wolverines/1000 km2). Wolverine density and detection probability increased with snow cover and decreased near development. Detection probability also decreased with human recreational activity. The annual harvest rate of ≥ 13% was above the maximum sustainable rate. We conclude that humans negatively affected the population through direct mortality, sub-lethal effects and habitat impacts. Our study exemplifies the need to monitor population trends for species at risk—within and between protected areas—as steep declines can occur unnoticed if key conservation concerns are not identified and addressed

A global assessment of Echinococcus multilocularis infections in domestic dogs: proposing a framework to overcome past methodological heterogeneity

Echinococcus multilocularis, the aetiological agent of human Alveolar Echinococcosis, is transmitted between small mammals and wild or domestic canids. Dogs infected with E. multilocularis as dead-end hosts. Whereas E. multilocularis infections in wild hosts and humans have been well-studied in recent decades, infections in domestic dogs are sparsely reported. This literature review and meta-analysis highlighted gaps in the available data and provided a re-assessment of the global distribution of domestic dog E. multilocularis infections. We found 46 published articles documenting the prevalence of E. multilocularis in domestic dogs from 21 countries across Europe, Asia and North America. Apparent prevalence estimates ranged from 0.00% (0.00–0.33%) in Germany to 55.50% (26.67–81.12%) in China. Most studies were conducted in areas of high human Alveolar Echinococcosis. By accounting for reassessed diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, we estimated true prevalence in a subset of studies, which varied between 0.00% (0.00–12.42%) and 41.09% (21.12–65.81%), as these true prevalence estimates were seldom reported in the articles themselves. Articles also showed a heavy emphasis on rural dogs, dismissing urban ones, which is concerning due to the role urbanisation plays in the transmission of zoonotic diseases, especially those utilising pets as definitive hosts. Lastly, population studies on canine Alveolar Echinococcosis were absent, highlighting the relative focus on human rather than animal health. We thus developed a framework for investigating domestic dog E. multilocularis infections and performing risk assessment of dog-associated transmission to fill the gaps found in the literature

Host spatiotemporal overlap in a park with high endemicity of Echinococcus multilocularis

There has been a spate of recent cases of human alveolar echinococcosis (AE) in Alberta, Canada. Alveolar echinococcosis is caused by Echinococcus multilocularis, which is prevalent among coyote populations and present in domestic dogs in Alberta. Using qPCR, we estimated the seasonal fecal prevalence of E. multilocularis in coyotes and dogs in a multiuse recreation area close to Edmonton, Alberta, where we also setup remote cameras to model seasonal changes in the overlap in temporal activity and the spatial intensity of use among coyotes, humans, and dogs, as a proxy of potential transmission. We detected E. multilocularis in 18 of 137 wild canid feces and none in 44 dog feces. After correcting for the qPCR test’s sensitivity and specificity, we estimated at 15.7% (9.7-22.7%, 95% CrI) the true fecal prevalence for coyotes. Temporal overlap between coyotes and both humans and dogs increased in the fall and winter relative to the spring and summer. Coyote intensity of use showed seasonal variations and was higher on maintained trails and locations closer to visitor parking and at sites with high intensity of dog use. Our results reinforce the need of an integrated approach, typical of both One-Health and Eco-Health, to park management for minimizing the likelihood of transmission where human and dog activity results in significant overlap with the one of the natural definitive hosts of zoonotic parasites