3,399 research outputs found
Foraging effort and prey choice in cape gannets
In order to test the hypothesis that sardine Sardinops sagax are the preferred prey of Cape gannets Morus capensis, the link between foraging effort and prey choice was evaluated by simultaneously monitoring theactivity and the diet of adult birds attending chicks at Bird Island, Algoa Bay, South Africa. Foraging trip durations were bimodally distributed. Most foraging trips of Cape gannets were completed within 24 h. Metered gannets spent c. 40% of this time flying. In all, nine prey species were recovered from the stomachs of metered birds. The diet was dominated by the commercially important sardine Sardinops sagax and anchovy Engraulis capensis. Food mass intake by foraging Cape gannets was not correlated with foraging trip duration or time flying, consistent with a patchy distribution of food. Cape gannets returning with sardine tended to have shorter foraging trips and spent significantly less time flying than birds returning with other prey, thereby maximizing net energy intake. Sardine seem to be the preferred (most profitable) prey and, consequently, their relative proportion in gannetstomachs may reflect their absolute availability at spatial scales equivalent to the birdās foraging range
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Understanding attitudes toward the control of nonnative wild and feral mammals: similarities and differences in the opinions of the general public, animal protectionists, and conservationists in New Zealand (Aotearoa)
Lethal control is used extensively in New Zealand to control non-native non-human mammals. Respondents were surveyed about eight mammal groups considered to be pests and their attitudes towards their control and pest status. They also identified their most appropriate method of control for the eight different mammals. Information was gathered from three groups of respondents: animal protectionists, conservationists and the general public. Conservationists routinely rated all animal groups as more severe pests than the general public or animal protectionists, who provided the lowest scores. Rats, stoats, brushtail possums and rabbits were identified as the four most serious pests by all three groups. Conservationists were 5.7 and 2.6 times more likely to prefer a lethal method of control than protectionists and the general public respectively. For all three groups an increase in pest score for a given animal saw a decline in importance placed upon its welfare. This relationship was strong for the general public but weak for conservationists and animal protectionists. Understanding aspects of potentially opposing viewpoints may be invaluable in supporting the development of new welfare-focused control methods
Characteristics of ex-racing greyhounds in New Zealand and their impact on re-homing
A small proportion of greyhounds surplus to the racing industry are entered into specialist rehoming organisations to be re-purposed as pets. Records of 835 greyhounds, from New Zealand Greyhounds as Pets (GAP), were used to investigate whether pre-adoption characteristics (age, sex, racing record, reason entered) and management factors (temperament test result, foster and trainer effects) had a bearing on rehoming success, and comparisons were made with shelter studies. Rehoming greyhounds as pets is very successful with 85.5% ultimately successfully rehomed. Only 2.9% fail as a result of failed adoptions, 11.6% fail the initial temperament test. Greyhounds were more likely than shelter dogs to pass an initial temperament test and be adopted, and less likely to be returned after 1 month. However, adopted greyhounds were just as likely as shelter dogs to be returned after 6 months. Logistic regression revealed the youngest age group (< 24 months old) were more likely to pass the initial temperament test than older greyhounds. This age effect was not detectable when the adoption success of dogs subsequently available for rehoming was considered, but a sex effect was evident with females more likely to be successfully adopted than males. Whether or not a dog had raced had no significant effect on the likelihood of successful rehoming. Greyhounds passing the temperament test with a basic pass, were less likely to be successfully rehomed than greyhounds scoring a higher pass indicative of lower prey drive. Further investigation of the validity and reliablity of the temperament test is warranted
Veterinary provision of analgesia for domestic cats (Felis catus) undergoing gonadectomy: a comparison of samples from New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom
AIM: To compare the use and provision of analgesia to cats undergoing gonadectomy by a sample of veterinarians in New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom.
METHODS: Small animal veterinariansā views and practices on provision of analgesia to cats at three different time phases (pre/intra-operatively, post-operatively and post-discharge) were gathered using an electronic questionnaire. Respondents were also asked to state the pharmacological agent(s) used and the dosage rate(s). Differences in provision of analgesia were assessed relative to the respondent using binary logistic regression. The effects of sex of the patient and time of provision were explored using McNewarās Test and Cochranās Q respectively. Differences between drug types used amongst countries was tested using a cross-tabulation. RESULTS: There were 717 responses to the survey. Of these 249 (34.7%) were from New Zealand, 269 (37.5%) were from the UK and 199 (27.8%) from Australia. The prevalence of analgesia provision declined across the three different time phases for spaying and castration (both p<0.001). Provision of analgesia for castration was less than for spaying at each of the pre/intra-operative (p=0.002), post-operative (p<0.001) and after discharge (p<0.001) phases. Post-operative provision of analgesia following both castration (p<0.001) and spaying (p<0.001) differed amongst countries of practice. Veterinarians in Australia and New Zealand were more likely to provide post-operative analgesia for both castration and spaying than those from the UK (p<0.001). Veterinarians from the UK more commonly used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) in the pre/intra-operative phase (p<0.001) than veterinarians from either New Zealand or Australia.
CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Contemporary use of analgesics for cats appears focused on provision at clinic and may not address the effects of surgery beyond the first 24 hours. The UK, Australia and New Zealand clearly differ in the types of analgesia administered, possibly reflecting differing professional considerations of the risks associated with the use of NSAID. In the interests of animal welfare, pain relief should perhaps be provided or offered more frequently for owner administration
The bright end of the galaxy luminosity function at z ā 7 from the VISTA VIDEO survey
We have conducted a search forĀ zĀ āĀ 7 Lyman-break galaxies over 8.2Ā deg2Ā of near-infrared imaging from the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA) Deep Extragalactic Observations (VIDEO) survey in theĀ XMMāNewton-Large Scale Structure (XMM-LSS) and theĀ Extended Chandra Deep Field-South (ECDF-S) fields. Candidate galaxies were selected from a full photometric redshift analysis down to aĀ YĀ +Ā JĀ depth of 25.3 (5Ļ), utilizing deep auxiliary optical andĀ Spitzer/Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) data to remove brown dwarf and red interloper galaxy contaminants. Our final sample consists of 28 candidate galaxies at 6.5 ā¤Ā zĀ ā¤ 7.5 with ā23.5 ā¤Ā MUVĀ ā¤ ā21.6. We derive stellar masses of 9.1 ā¤ log10(Mā/Mā) ā¤ 10.9 for the sample, suggesting that these candidates represent some of the most massive galaxies known at this epoch. We measure the rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) luminosity function (LF) atĀ zĀ ā 7, confirming previous findings of a gradual decline in number density at the bright end (MUVĀ 5 samples, our results further support little evolution in the very bright end of the rest-frame UV LF fromĀ zĀ = 5ā10, potentially signalling a lack of mass quenching and/or dust obscuration in the most massive galaxies in the first Gyr
The total rest-frame UV luminosity function from 3 < z < 5: a simultaneous study of AGN and galaxies from ā28 < MUV < ā16
We present measurements of the rest-frame ultraviolet luminosity function (LF) at redshiftsĀ zĀ = 3,Ā zĀ = 4, andĀ zĀ = 5, using 96894, 38655, and 7571 sources, respectively, to map the transition between active galactic nuclei (AGN) and galaxy-dominated ultraviolet emission shortly after the epoch of reionization (EoR). Sources are selected using a comprehensive photometric redshift approach, using 10Ā deg2āof deep extragalactic legacy fields covered by both HSC and VISTA. The use of template fitting spanning a wavelength range of 0.3ā2.4Ā Ī¼m achieves 80ā90Ā perācent completeness, much higher than the classical colourācolour cut methodology. The measured LF encompasses ā26 <Ā MUVĀ < ā19.25. This is further extended to ā28.5 <Ā MUVĀ < ā16 using complementary results from other studies, allowing for the simultaneous fitting of the combined AGN and galaxy LF. We find that there are fewer UV luminous galaxies (MUVĀ < ā22) atĀ zĀ ā¼ 3 thanĀ zĀ ā¼ 4, indicative of an onset of widespread quenching alongside dust obscuration, and that the evolution of the AGN LF is very rapid, with their number density rising by around two orders of magnitude from 3 <Ā zĀ < 6. It remains difficult to determine if a double power law functional form is preferred over the Schechter function to describe the galaxy UV LF. Estimating the hydrogen ionizing photon budget from our UV LFs, we find that AGN can contribute to, but cannot solely maintain, the reionization of the Universe atĀ zĀ = 3ā5. However, the rapidly evolving AGN LF strongly disfavours a significant contribution within the EoR
Bike share in Greater Manchester
Active travel offers cities opportunities to address vital challenges such as health, air quality and congestion. Bike share is increasingly evident in cities across the globe, whether in the more conventional docked form found in, for example, London and Paris or the newer dockless technology facilitated through smartphone apps.
Such systems offer people a bike to use without the hassle of ownership or storage and, if they have their own bike, access to a bike to make journeys when they do not have it with them. They therefore promise to make cycling an option for a wider population and for more journeys. They offer to complete the elusive ālast mileā that can make public transport difficult and to help to make cycling a visible and attractive option for many.
This report provides new evidence of experiences and perceptions of bike share in Greater Manchester. It explores whether, to what extent and in what forms bike share can contribute to an overall increase in the number of people cycling, the number of journeys they make and the health and environmental benefits that follow
Engineering a Seven Enzyme Biotransformation using Mathematical Modelling and Characterized Enzyme Parts (article)
This is the final version. Available on open access from Wiley via the DOI in this recordThe dataset associated with this article is located in ORE at: https://doi.org/10.24378/exe.1623Multiāstep enzyme reactions offer considerable cost and productivity benefits. Process models offer a route to understanding the complexity of these reactions, and allow for their optimization. Despite the increasing prevalence of multiāstep biotransformations, there are few examples of process models for enzyme reactions. From a toolbox of characterized enzyme parts, we demonstrate the construction of a process model for a seven enzyme, three step biotransformation using isolated enzymes. Enzymes for cofactor regeneration were employed to make this inā
vitro reaction economical. Good modelling practice was critical in evaluating the impact of approximations and experimental error. We show that the use and validation of process models was instrumental in realizing and removing process bottlenecks, identifying divergent behavior, and for the optimization of the entire reaction using a genetic algorithm. We validated the optimized reaction to demonstrate that complex multiāstep reactions with cofactor recycling involving at least seven enzymes can be reliably modelled and optimized.Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)GlaxoSmithKlin
Expression of Ki-67 and Bcl-2 in gastric epithelial cells: role of antralization in gastric carcinogenesis
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Impact of Structural and Metabolic Variations on the Toxicity and Carcinogenicity of Hydroxy- and Alkoxy-Substituted Allyl- and Propenylbenzenes
The metabolic fate of a compound is determined by numerous factors including its chemical structure. Although the metabolic options for a variety of functional groups are well understood and can often provide a rationale for the comparison of toxicity based on structural analogy, at times quite minor structural variations may have major consequences for metabolic outcomes and toxicity. In this perspective, the effects of structural variations on metabolic outcomes is detailed for a group of related hydroxy- and alkoxy-substituted allyl- and propenylbenzenes. These classes of compounds are naturally occurring constituents of a variety of botanical-based food items. The classes vary from one another by the presence or absence of alkylation of their para-hydroxyl substituents and/or the position of the double bond in the alkyl side chain. We provide an overview of how these subtle structural variations alter the metabolism of these important food-borne compounds, ultimately influencing their toxicity, particularly their DNA reactivity and carcinogenic potential. The data reveal that detailed knowledge of the consequences of subtle structural variations for metabolism is essential for adequate comparison of structurally related chemicals. Taken together, it is concluded that predictions in toxicological risk assessment should not be performed on the basis of structural analogy only but should include an analogy of metabolic pathways across compounds and species
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